Scott McLaughlin, the Team Penske driver, was knocked out in the first qualifying round of the Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca, and he openly criticized the <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/motorsports/indycar/”>IndyCar officials’ decision related to Practice 2. The Kiwi racer expressed his frustrations following the session, highlighting how the canceled practice affected his chances during Scott McLaughlin Laguna Seca qualifying.

McLaughlin’s 2025 IndyCar season has been challenging, with Team Penske yet to secure a race victory. The group, including McLaughlin and his teammates Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson, has struggled particularly in qualifying at both street and permanent courses. At Laguna Seca, McLaughlin found himself among the few who used two sets of alternate tires in the first qualifying session, a strategy shared only by Newgarden and Ericsson.

While Newgarden managed to progress to the second round by finishing sixth in his group, McLaughlin fell short by finishing seventh in Group 1, ending his qualifying effort prematurely. After the session, McLaughlin explained to FOX that Team Penske had made adjustments to his car following Friday’s practice. However, the cancellation of the second practice session due to morning fog at Laguna Seca meant the team never got the opportunity to test those changes, leaving McLaughlin without the necessary feel for the vehicle on race day.

When asked by Jack Harvey if the lack of practice impacted his qualifying, McLaughlin replied:

“I mean slightly. It’s the same for everyone, Jack. But the XPEL Chevy yesterday, we sort of rolled a little bit out of the window. Threw a lot of changes at it this morning, but a genius decided to schedule practice for 8:30. Unfortunately, we couldn’t run, but it was the same for everybody. So we made some improvements, but just missed out. It’s frustrating but I’m glad we made some improvements and we’ll be better tomorrow.” —Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Driver

Challenges with Qualifying and Strategy at Toronto

Scott McLaughlin’s difficulties in qualifying were not limited to Laguna Seca, as he also faced setbacks at the previous IndyCar event on the streets of Toronto. Starting the race on alternate tires, McLaughlin aimed to quickly switch to hard tires to gain an advantage, pitting after just a few laps. Unfortunately, the pit stop went wrong when the rear left wheel nut came loose, causing McLaughlin’s car to crash into the wall right after leaving the pit lane.

Reflecting on the incident with FOX, McLaughlin said:

“Yeah, bummed for everyone with the Gallagher Chevy, two races in a row, out pretty early. So, sorry to them, but yeah, I felt like something sort of broke, or something on the left rear we just done a pit-stop, I love my guys, I’m not gonna drop them. Oh yeah, the nut came off (while watching the replay), anyway, it’s frustrating, we are all in this together.” —Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Driver

This was not an isolated incident, as McLaughlin also retired from Race 2 at Iowa on the first lap following a collision with Devlin DeFrancesco. These back-to-back setbacks have added to the tense atmosphere surrounding McLaughlin and the Penske team during the early stages of the 2025 season.

The Impact of Missed Practice and What Lies Ahead

The cancellation of the second practice session at Laguna Seca due to dense morning fog played a critical role in McLaughlin’s qualifying troubles, preventing the team from verifying car adjustments and limiting opportunities to adapt to track conditions. This disruption, combined with ongoing challenges in qualifying performance throughout the season, has placed pressure on McLaughlin and Team Penske.

Although the missed qualifying cut at Laguna Seca delayed McLaughlin’s progress in the race weekend, his comments indicate a determination to improve as the season continues. The ability to adapt quickly when faced with unpredictable challenges, such as practice cancellations or mechanical issues, will be essential for the driver and his team as they seek to regain competitiveness in upcoming events.

With the Penske drivers struggling at times to qualify well on street and permanent courses, how McLaughlin and his teammates recover from these difficult weekends at Monterey and Toronto could shape their prospects for the remainder of the IndyCar season.