Alexander Rossi ended a difficult 2026 IndyCar campaign with third place at Laguna Seca as Scott McLaughlin dominated the season finale.
Rossi ends 2026 with a breakthrough
Alexander Rossi finished third in Sunday’s Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, bringing a late lift to a difficult 2026 IndyCar season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
It was Rossi’s first podium of the year. He entered the 18th and final race without a top-three finish, having recorded four top-10 results before Sunday.
Rossi described the season as “terrible.”
A sharp finish after limited returns
Rossi reached Laguna Seca 15th in the championship standings with 307 points. Before the finale, his season totals stood at one top-five finish, five top-10 results and 10 laps led across 18 starts.
Third place delivered a firm result to close that run.
Rossi joined race winner Scott McLaughlin and runner-up Kyle Kirkwood on the podium. Kirkwood secured a career-best championship result with second place, while Rossi rounded out the top three.
McLaughlin controls the finale
McLaughlin started from pole and led 87 of 95 laps for Team Penske, ending a victory drought dating to September 2024 at the Milwaukee Mile.
The victory was his first in 36 races.
McLaughlin claimed pole by beating Alex Palou by 0.0177 seconds. He turned that slim qualifying margin into a dominant performance Sunday, earning his first win of the 2026 season.
Palou completes title-winning year
Alex Palou finished the season as champion with 631 points, 86 clear of Kirkwood. Across the 18-race schedule, he recorded six victories, eight poles and 673 laps led.
Kirkwood finished second in the standings with 545 points. Christian Lundgaard placed third on 535, while Pato O’Ward took fourth with 522 after winning both Milwaukee races on Aug. 30.
Rossi’s Laguna Seca podium brought the final race weekend of 2026 to a close. IndyCar’s next scheduled championship event is the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 1, 2027.
