2026 IndyCar Laguna Seca | Race results

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Scott McLaughlin won the 2026 IndyCar season finale race at Laguna Seca. Read the full results below.

The final race of the 2026 IndyCar season got underway at Laguna Seca, with newly crowned champion Alex Palou lining up alongside pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin on the front row.

McLaughlin made a strong start and held off Palou through the opening corners, with Felix Rosenqvist slotting into third.

Behind them, Alexander Rossi came under pressure from Kyle Kirkwood and David Malukas, before Dennis Hauger crashed at Turn 6 after contact with Sting Ray Robb. The incident brought out the first caution and hurt Hauger’s Rookie of the Year and Leader Circle hopes.

Palou pits early as strategy opens up

Palou pitted on Lap 19, becoming the first front-runner to try the undercut. His stop had a small delay, but Ganassi avoided major time loss and kept him on soft tyres.

McLaughlin responded soon after as the soft tyre began to fade, while Kirkwood also stopped and switched to hards. Palou rejoined close to Kirkwood and used his warmer tyres to pull ahead.

Rosenqvist then pitted from the lead, while Rossi, Marcus Armstrong, Louis Foster, Caio Collet and Santino Ferrucci stayed out longer. Scott Dixon also moved into play on an alternate strategy after running much faster laps.

Kirkwood and Rossi pass struggling Palou

Palou’s used soft tyres faded quickly, leaving him struggling for traction as Kirkwood closed in.

Kirkwood forced his way past on Lap 30 of the 2026 IndyCar Laguna Seca Race, before Rossi followed through moments later. With Malukas also closing, Ganassi brought Palou back in early for hard tyres and a wing adjustment.

McLaughlin led the net order ahead of Kirkwood, Rossi and Malukas.

O’Ward gains ground after Ferrucci contact

Pato O’Ward recovered from his slow stop by passing Ferrucci for 11th after light contact sent the A.J. Foyt driver slightly off-line.

Palou continued trying to move back through the order after his earlier strategy trouble, while Malukas led from Kirkwood and Rossi at the front. Christian Lundgaard ran sixth, keeping the fight for second in the 2026 IndyCar Championship alive.

Rossi defends final podium place

Rossi held third as Malukas kept pressure on him in the closing stint. The ECR driver had a small slide out of the final corner but stayed ahead, while Robb moved aside and let the podium fight continue.

Kirkwood managed his soft tyres ahead, with Andretti giving him a target lap time to protect them to the finish. Behind Rossi, Malukas had more push-to-pass and hybrid energy available, keeping the final podium place alive with 20 laps remaining.

The closing laps also marked the final runs with their current teams for several drivers, including Rosenqvist, Lundgaard, Scott Dixon and Mick Schumacher.

Rosenqvist gets past Malukas late on

Rosenqvist closed in on Malukas as the Penske driver’s soft tyres began to fade in the final stint.

Malukas defended the first attack well and used the switchback to hold the place, but Rosenqvist came back again. This time, he got alongside, held the inside line and completed the move.

The pass moved Rosenqvist ahead as he used the hard tyre advantage to good effect in the closing stages.

McLaughlin wins at Laguna Seca

McLaughlin controlled the final laps to win the race at Laguna Seca and end the 2026 IndyCar season on a high.

The Penske driver converted pole into victory, managing tyre degradation, strategy and pit cycles cleanly throughout the race. Kirkwood and Rossi stayed in the podium fight behind him, but McLaughlin kept the race under control.

The closing laps also settled key season storylines, with Hauger set to secure Rookie of the Year despite his opening-lap retirement. For McLaughlin, the win ended a 15-race drought and gave Penske a strong finish to the season.