Scott McLaughlin takes front-row start for Indycar Detroit with best result of 2023
Scott McLaughlin took his best qualifying result of the 2023 Indycar season as he locked in a front-row start for the Detroit Grand Prix.
Scott McLaughlin on the Streets of Detroit. (James Black / Penske Entertainment)
McLaughlin was second-fastest in the Firestone Fast Six session on Saturday, three-tenths of a second behind pole-sitter Alex Palou.
“Full credit, Alex. That was a badass lap man.”
“Good job on the old tyres there, but pretty happy with P2. It's nice.”
“I've had a pretty average month of May in my standards, so it’s nice to bounce back here in Detroit. New track and rebound with a P2to start tomorrow. But God, I’m having nightmares about turn one already, so we’ll see how we go.”
McLaughlin is also the highest-placed Chevrolet driver, with the iconic American brand having a large presence in The Motor City.
“Chevy world headquarters. I’ve always said it, I put more pressure on myself than anyone could put on me, but we know that it’s not just Chevy, it’s Roger [Penske]. This is our home race.”
“A lot of partners here this weekend and I’m sponsored by a very big company that’s got a massive presence her in Gallagher with the Detroit Tigers and all that, so it’s a big town for them.”
“But it doesn’t change how much I want to win this race, or the pressure to win every race that we go out in.”
Scott McLaughlin blazes around the Streets of Detroit. (Chris Owens / Penske Entertainment)
He was a vocal defender of the difficult street circuit, saying drivers should wait until the field has raced around the new track until they pass judgement.
“There's been a lot of noise I've seen on Twitter and from other drivers and stuff, but at the end of the day this is a new track, a new complex, and I think you know what everyone's done to get this going.”
“The vibe is awesome. Belle Isle was getting old, we had to do it, and this is first year problem, it's always going to happen.”
“It's only going to get better from here. The racetrack to drive is a blast and we don't even know how it races here and everyone's making conclusions already, so they probably need to relax and just wait for tomorrow.”
The #3 Gallagher Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet driver revealed he had watched the whole Indy NXT weekend opener around Detroit to prepare for the race on Sunday.
“I watched it and I watched all of it actually. It was carnage, but at the same time what's exciting for me is if you've got a fast car, you can make moves, you can come through.”
“Tire life is going to be key, and if you get one thing that's good about this track, it's a lot of stop-start corners, a lot of concertinas. If you get better runs than others, you can usually push past where you think.”
“I think it’s going to race very well, it’s just going to be up to us with the etiquette of the drivers and all that sort of stuff, to leave room for others and figure it out along the way.”
The Indycar Detroit Grand Prix is underway at 5.00am Monday (AEST) with coverage live and ad-free on Stan Sport.
