Success is no stranger to Scott McLaughlin. Prior to his move to the United States, the New Zealand native wrote himself into the history books of Australia’s Supercars Championship, taking three consecutive titles from 2018 to 2020.
Time and time again, he proved to Roger Penske, for whom he drove for in the Australian touring car series, that he had raw talent, and very quickly proved to just about everyone else that he was a master of the Supercars Championship. But he needed something bigger, something with a higher profile, and he got just that, when he was signed to race for the prestigious Team Penske in IndyCar.
Making his debut at the final round of the 2020 campaign at St Petersburg, Florida, McLaughlin left an instant impression. Less than two years later and with a season’s worth of experience under his belt, McLaughlin ventured back to St Petersburg for the 2022 season-opening event and stuck his Team Penske run DW12 onto pole position.
McLaughlin didn’t luck into the fastest lap of the session. With more knowledge of IndyCar operations now under his belt, he worked on making the improvements necessary that led him to out-duel team-mate Will Power, widely regarded as one of the greatest IndyCar qualifiers of all time.
24 hours later he jumped back into the car once again to tackle another challenge. He was looking to convert that impressive pole into what would be a memorable victory, but it would be far from easy. With reigning series champion Alex Palou bearing down on him, who proved in 2021 that he had the elements of one of the best in the business, McLaughlin held his own and delivered a supreme performance, handling every fibre of pressure with delicacy. He took the chequered flag for his maiden IndyCar win, and ticked off yet another major box in his career.
It is unquestionable to say that the faith that was placed in him by Penske has thus far paid off. McLaughlin has been far from an embarrassment – he came to IndyCar looking for success, and after using some time to analyse his rookie season, perhaps that is now what’s coming his way.
“We showed some speed last year and I was just getting better and better as the car went on,” McLaughlin said. “I think rolling out with a car that suited me from the get-go was important. “We worked very hard on this track with the simulator, and thankfully this simulator has been fantastic for that, and getting me to a great baseline setup that I’ve really only touched a little bit here and there just tweaking it trying to figure out what was right.”
The IndyCar field is one of the most competitive out there and sticking all of your hope on race victories is not a winning formula. A championship-winning driver must learn to be consistent, to take results as they come, whether they be race wins or strong point finishes.
It’s an art that Scott Dixon has mastered during his time at the series, as his success speaks for itself. If McLaughlin, who let’s not forget is only in his second season, learns how to choose his battles and where to pick up points, a smattering of race victories may not be the only thing on his IndyCar agenda.
McLaughlin is a champion already, however his advancement to IndyCar is a much different beast compared to his Antipodean racing roots and where the bulk of his previous racing success lies. But it’s what has made his easing into the new single seater category all the more impressive, which is something that warrants respect.
Other drivers have jumped into the IndyCar seat and struggled to create opportunities for themselves, regardless of their impressive resumés. But McLaughlin has made it seem so effortless, despite the fact that we know there is heavy work being undertaken away from the cameras. It has led him to this point, where he is now an IndyCar race winner.
“You back yourself, but in our pre-event we said top seven, [we’d be happy] if we can come out of here with a solid top seven,” McLaughlin said. “Obviously the goal was changed last night, but it was just phenomenal the way the car rolled out of the truck and I felt like I could really do what I wanted to do with the car from the get-go. just don’t give up. You don’t doubt yourself. I knew I could do it. Last night I had a great sleep because I just said to myself, I’ve done this before.”
What comes next remains to be seen. But McLaughlin verified this past weekend that the prestigious IndyCar field has become one driver deeper.
This opinion article originally appeared in issue 452 of our weekly digital motorsport magazine, Motorsport Monday. Completely free to read with no sign-up necessary, Motorsport Monday is published every Monday morning and is packed full of motorsport content. Check out the latest issue here.
