Photos and Article by Jake Coughlin
The 2025 IndyCar season roared to life on the sun-drenched streets of downtown St. Petersburg on March 2, and what a way to kick things off! From the very first practice sessions to the checkered flag, this year’s Firestone Grand Prix delivered the kind of action street-course junkies dream about.
Polesitter, Scott McLaughlin, laid down the early pace at the tight, 1.8 mile temporary circuit, but when the lights went out it was Álex Palou who stole the show. In a masterful drive for Chip Ganassi Racing, the reigning series champ fought his way to the front and took the lead where it mattered most, late in the race, to grab the victory.
Palou’s performance was a blend of ruthless precision and tactical smarts, turning what could have been a tight battle into a statement win to open his title defense. Finishing just 2.867 seconds back was his own teammate, the evergreen Scott Dixon, who battled adversity all day, reportedly losing radio communication and still managing a runner-up effort that had fans on the edge of their seats.
Rounding out the podium was Josef Newgarden in third for Team Penske, staking his early claim as another title contender in what feels like a vintage Penske season start. Behind them, names like McLaughlin and Kyle Kirkwood filled out the top five, while several veterans and up and comers ,punched in hard-fought top 10 finishes.
The 100-lap sprint down Florida’s carnival of concrete and barriers was anything but predictable. From lap 1 contact to strategic gambles in the pits, it had every twist fans crave. And with Palou kicking off the season in such strong form, this will be an NTT IndyCar season for the books!
Race Results
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Álex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 2 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 3 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske |
| 4 | Scott McLaughlin | Team Penske |
| 5 | Kyle Kirkwood | Andretti Global |
| 6 | Marcus Ericsson | Andretti Global |
| 7 | Felix Rosenqvist | Meyer Shank Racing |
| 8 | Christian Lundgaard | Arrow McLaren |
| 9 | Rinus VeeKay | Dale Coyne Racing |
| 10 | Alexander Rossi | Ed Carpenter Racing |
| 11 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren |
| 12 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
| 13 | David Malukas | A.J. Foyt Racing |
| 14 | Santino Ferrucci | A.J. Foyt Racing |
| 15 | Christian Rasmussen | Ed Carpenter Racing |
| 16 | Colton Herta | Andretti Global |
| 17 | Conor Daly | Juncos Hollinger Racing |
| 18 | Kyffin Simpson | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 19 | Callum Ilott | Prema Racing |
| 20 | Robert Shwartzman | Prema Racing |
Did not finish (DNF)
• Nolan Siegel – crash on Lap 1
• Will Power – crash on Lap 1
• Louis Foster – crash on Lap 1
Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg Website: https://www.gpstpete.com/
