The 2025 IndyCar season opener at St. Petersburg, Florida, was a street race that lived up to its reputation for unpredictability. With no cautions to slow down the action, veteran drivers faced off against rookies in a thrilling display of speed.
Scott Dixon came close to claiming his first St. Pete win but ultimately fell short due to a missed pit stop and stuck behind lapped traffic. However, he remains in contention for the championship alongside other former champions Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden.
Meanwhile, Scott McLaughlin’s strong qualifying performance was undone by bad luck, as he started on the harder primary tire and struggled to close the gap with those ahead of him. He finished fourth, a disappointing result for the New Zealand ace.
Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta suffered setbacks at St. Pete, with O’Ward struggling with strategy issues and starting 23rd on the grid. Herta’s day was also marked by pit road woes, relegating him to 16th place.
Despite some minor hiccups, FOX Sports delivered a solid broadcast of its first IndyCar event, showcasing recognizable faces and highlighting the sport’s best drivers up front. However, the network could improve in areas such as providing more data and avoiding mistakes with car replays.
The weekend also saw Rinus VeeKay find success at his old home, Dale Coyne Racing, while Alexander Rossi came home a solid 10th in his first race with the No. 20 team. Meanwhile, Will Power’s birthday celebration ended early after a crash just seconds into the race.
Finally, Chip Ganassi Racing made headlines by announcing a partnership with artificial intelligence frontrunner OpenAI, which aims to automate knowledge-based tasks and create advanced efficiency for the team. This move is a significant step forward in the use of AI in IndyCar and has sparked excitement among fans and teams alike.
Source: https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/winners-and-losers-2025-indycar-grand-prix-of-st-petersburg/10699982