Palou Wins IndyCar Opener
Reigning champion Alex Palou kicked off the 2026 IndyCar season with a dominant win in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, cementing his status as the man to beat. Mick Schumacher's much-anticipated IndyCar debut ended in disappointment after a crash forced him out of the race.
Alex Palou didn't just win; he picked up right where his historic 2025 championship season left off. His margin of victory was a staggering 12.4 seconds, the largest in the history of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. The win marked Palou's 20th career victory in the IndyCar Series. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver led 59 of the 100 laps on the temporary street circuit. This victory also makes him the first driver to win back-to-back races at St. Petersburg since Sebastien Bourdais accomplished the feat in 2017 and 2018. While Palou dominated, others fought for the remaining podium spots. Pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin finished second, with Christian Lundgaard impressively charging from 12th on the starting grid to finish third. Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O'Ward rounded out the top five. Mick Schumacher's much-anticipated debut ended on the very first lap. He was an innocent victim in a turn-four tangle involving Sting Ray Robb and Santino Ferrucci that brought his race to a premature end. The IndyCar series now heads from the streets of Florida to the desert for its first oval race of the season. The next event is the Good Ranchers 250, taking place at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 7.
