Scott McLaughlin secured a commendable third-place finish at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix this morning, marking his third consecutive podium at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Team Penske driver briefly led the race during the final pit cycle by running longer than the leaders, before rejoining behind eventual winner Álex Palou, who dominated by leading 81 of the 90 laps.
Palou’s win—his third of the season—continues a dominant run for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver, who now holds a firm lead atop the championship standings.
Christian Lundgaard also impressed, moving up from seventh on the grid to finish second and claim his best result of 2025 with Arrow McLaren. This marks Lundgaard’s third consecutive podium with the team.
McLaughlin’s strong finish reinforces his consistency at Barber, having won the event in both 2023 and 2024. Speaking after the race, the Kiwi was full of praise for Palou:
“When the guy is on top of his game, you just can do the best you can, in that regard. I feel like week in and week out, we can challenge him. But if he keeps executing like this, all we can do is execute, as well.”
Scott Dixon showcased his veteran prowess by climbing 14 positions to finish 12th after starting near the back of the grid. It was another gritty recovery drive from the six-time champion, who remains well in championship contention, sitting seventh overall on 104 points.
Dixon reflected on the difficulty of racing through the field in a green-to-flag contest:
“We were hoping for some caution. It’s definitely frustrating starting 26th, and I think when you’ve got a field that’s so strong right now, to pass 14 cars is really tough.”
“So, we would have loved the caution at some point. Kudos obviously to [Alex] Palou for getting another one—three out of the first four races is pretty epic, so huge for the team.”
Marcus Armstrong, meanwhile, showed promising signs of pace throughout the event. The Meyer Shank Racing driver led six laps during a bold alternate strategy, ultimately coming home 17th.
While the result didn’t reflect the front-running moments, it demonstrated Armstrong’s growing confidence and willingness to take the fight forward in just his second full season of IndyCar competition. He currently sits 14th in the standings with 64 points.
The 90-lap race ran green from start to finish, with no full-course cautions—a rarity for IndyCar and a testament to the drivers’ discipline on the technical Barber circuit.
Palou now leads the championship on 196 points, with McLaughlin moving into a tie for fifth on 105, and Dixon just behind in seventh. Armstrong remains firmly in the mid-pack, eager to build on his recent form.
The IndyCar Series returns to action this weekend with the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the IMS road course—setting the stage for a packed month of May leading into the iconic Indy 500. After a strong weekend in Alabama, New Zealand fans will be hoping their trio of stars can continue the momentum at The Brickyard.
Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Results:
| # | Driver | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | 1:46:33.1523 |
| 2 | Christian Lundgaard | 16.0035 |
| 3 | Scott McLaughlin | 23.4453 |
| 4 | Rinus VeeKay | 23.7783 |
| 5 | Will Power | 32.7718 |
| 6 | Pato O’Ward | 33.2559 |
| 7 | Colton Herta | 34.0216 |
| 8 | Alexander Rossi | 45.7556 |
| 9 | Nolan Siegel | 46.2254 |
| 10 | Josef Newgarden | 48.0484 |
| 11 | Kyle Kirkwood | 57.9913 |
| 12 | Scott Dixon | 58.6974 |
| 13 | Felix Rosenqvist | 59.3510 |
| 14 | Graham Rahal | 68.2580 |
| 15 | Christian Rasmussen | 69.2260 |
| 16 | David Malukas | 70.1130 |
| 17 | Marcus Armstrong | 1 lap |
| 18 | Santino Ferrucci | 1 lap |
| 19 | Conor Daly | 1 lap |
| 20 | Marcus Ericsson | 1 lap |
| 21 | Kyffin Simpson | 1 lap |
| 22 | Sting Ray Robb | 1 lap |
| 23 | Callum Ilott | 1 lap |
| 24 | Devlin DeFrancesco | 1 lap |
| 25 | Robert Shwartzman | 1 lap |
| 26 | Louis Foster | 2 laps |
| 27 | Jacob Abel | 2 laps |
Header Image: Indycar.com
