Just like last year, Scott McLaughlin will start the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg from pole position. The Team Penske driver set the fastest time in the Firestone Fast 6, beating a surprising Marcus Ericsson by two hundredths of a second to secure the top spot. Rookie Dennis Hauger impressed by qualifying third, ahead of reigning champion Alex Palou in fourth.

Big names eliminated in the opening segment

Several big names were already eliminated in the first segment of qualifying. Former champions Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon made costly mistakes in the final corner and fell outside the top twelve. Other surprising early exits included Kyle Kirkwood (15th), Rinus VeeKay (19th), and the Ed Carpenter Racing duo of Christian Rasmussen (14th) and Alexander Rossi (last).

Will Power, who crashed during the morning practice session, limited the damage with a seventh-place result in the first group, allowing him to start the race thirteenth. Ericsson was fastest in the first group, ahead of Pato O’Ward, Romain Grosjean, Louis Foster, Scott McLaughlin, and Felix Rosenqvist. In the second group, David Malukas set the fastest lap, followed by Alex Palou, Marcus Armstrong, Dennis Hauger, Christian Lundgaard, and Kyffin Simpson.

McLaughlin fastest in the Firestone Fast 12

With two cars from Meyer Shank Racing, two McLarens, two Penskes, and two Ganassi entries, the battle for the final six spots looked set to be intense. However, to everyone’s surprise, Dale Coyne Racing drivers Dennis Hauger and Romain Grosjean both advanced into the top six. Ericsson also deserves mention as a surprise contender following the difficult season he endured in 2025.

McLaughlin was once again the fastest, ahead of Palou, while Malukas qualified for the Fast 6 in his first race with Team Penske. Meyer Shank Racing drivers Rosenqvist and Armstrong also advanced, along with McLaren drivers O’Ward and Lundgaard.

McLaughlin claims third St. Petersburg pole

Palou attempted a double stint in the Firestone Fast 6, giving him what appeared to be a strategic advantage over his rivals. The reigning champion sat at the top of the timing sheets after his runs, but McLaughlin then went a tenth of a second faster. Surprisingly, Ericsson and Hauger slotted in between the two drivers, pushing Palou back to fourth place. Even so, it marked a significant improvement compared to previous years, when he had never reached the Fast 6.

No one in qualifying had an answer to McLaughlin’s pace, as he secured pole position in St. Petersburg for the third time, following his successes in 2022 and 2025.

Full results of the 1st qualifying session on St. Petersburg