Scott McLaughlin, the Team Penske driver and two-time defending winner at Barber Motorsports Park, entered the Alabama Indy Grand Prix weekend aiming for his first victory of the 2025 IndyCar season and a third consecutive win at the circuit. Despite a strong start and qualifying second behind Alex Palou, McLaughlin was unable to challenge Palou for the race win and finished third.

After the race, McLaughlin spoke with Jack Harvey and reflected on his performance and the race outcome. He acknowledged that while his Good Ranchers Chevrolet had been fast in previous years, it was not enough to beat Palou and Christian Lundgaard, who finished first and second respectively. McLaughlin said, “We were the third best car today. That was it. Very interesting race. Wish we had a little bit more tire life on our car, but overall we’re all good”.

When asked if there was anything more he could have done to challenge Palou, McLaughlin accepted that Palou was simply on top of his game and that all he could do was execute his own race plan as well as possible. He stated, “I feel like week in, week out, we can challenge him, but if he keeps executing all we can do is execute as well. So, hey, props to his team, but it’s a long season. And this is way too early to be even worrying about points. We just got to keep being there. And if we’re there, we’ll be okay”.

During the race, McLaughlin got a great start and kept pace with Palou for the initial laps. However, Palou used a lot of push-to-pass power to build a three-second gap. McLaughlin then lost a position to Colton Herta during the first round of pit stops as Team Penske’s undercut strategy did not work effectively. Later, Christian Lundgaard made a successful undercut to pass McLaughlin after the final round of pit stops, overtaking several drivers who struggled with cold tires, including McLaughlin. Although McLaughlin tried to fight back for second place towards the end, Lundgaard managed to hold him off. Rinus VeeKay also pressured McLaughlin for the final podium spot in the closing laps, but McLaughlin maintained his position to finish third.

Alex Palou dominated the race, leading 81 of 90 laps and winning by a margin of over 16 seconds, the largest victory margin in IndyCar since August 2023. Palou’s flawless pit stops and race pace allowed him to extend his championship lead to 60 points over Lundgaard. Palou described the day as perfect, with a super-fast car and a lot of fun, despite feeling a bit lonely out front. This victory marked Palou’s 14th career win and his third win in four races this season, further cementing his status as the championship favorite.

In summary, Scott McLaughlin accepted that Alex Palou was currently the benchmark in the 2025 IndyCar season. While McLaughlin and Team Penske remain competitive and capable of challenging Palou, Palou’s consistent execution and dominant performances have set a high bar. McLaughlin emphasized the importance of staying in contention throughout the long season and not worrying prematurely about points, showing a pragmatic approach to the championship fight.