Bobby Travis · NASCAR/IndyCar-Korrespondent
At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Scott McLaughlin controlled the final race of the 2026 IndyCar season from pole to checkered flag, while Alexander Rossi delivered the day's biggest surprise with his first podium for Ed Carpenter Racing.
Scott McLaughlin won the Mission Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, the 18th and final race of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season on the road course at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The New Zealand driver from Team Penske started from pole position, fended off already-crowned champion Álex Palou at the start, and never relinquished the lead after that. It was McLaughlin's first victory in two years, coming ahead of Kyle Kirkwood and Alexander Rossi.
Chaos in Turn One, McLaughlin Stays Composed
McLaughlin took the start cleanly, defending the inside line against Palou through the first corner as he led the field across the line. Rosenqvist slotted in third and initially stayed clear of the chaos unfolding behind him, a pattern that would shape much of the race in the opening hundred meters.
The first significant incident came before Turn Six. Sting Ray Robb made contact with Dennis Hauger from behind, and the Norwegian spun into the tire barrier. For Hauger, the race ended after just one lap with terminal damage to his car. Race control ruled Robb's contact avoidable and assessed a stop-and-go penalty with ten additional seconds, which eventually dropped him to 23rd place.
Up front, McLaughlin remained unflappable despite the early caution. At the restart, he defended the lead once more against Palou and built a small but steady advantage that he managed over long stretches of the race without facing another serious threat to his position.
Rossi Claims First Podium for ECR
While the order up front remained largely static after the restart, a battle for the remaining podium spots developed behind McLaughlin. Kyle Kirkwood worked his way up to second as the race progressed and remained 1.4 seconds down at the finish, unable to mount a serious attack on the leader despite the tight confines of the narrow circuit.
The afternoon's biggest story arguably belonged to Alexander Rossi. His third-place finish, just 2.8 seconds behind the winner, gave Ed Carpenter Racing its first podium result with him, an outcome that meant far more to the small team than the points alone. Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top four in fourth after holding himself within striking distance of the front group early in the race.
David Malukas completed a strong Penske result for the team in fifth, while Christian Lundgaard showed that Arrow McLaren remained competitive at Laguna Seca even without O'Ward, who finished 11th.
Palou Wraps Up Title, McLaughlin Eyes 2027
For Álex Palou, the Grand Prix of Monterey was little more than a victory lap. The championship was already decided before the race started, so his eighth-place finish looked less like a stumble and more like a calm conclusion to a season he had already secured long ago. Teammate Kyffin Simpson rounded out the race in tenth, providing Chip Ganassi Racing with a solid if unspectacular way to end the season.
For Scott McLaughlin, this victory means considerably more than 54 points in an already-decided title fight. After two years without a win, the pole-to-checkered-flag performance at Laguna Seca stands as an exclamation point that Penske will carry into next year. How much momentum this season finale truly delivers into the preparation for 2027 will only become clear when the series returns to action in spring.
