Scott McLaughlin is entering his fourth full-time season in IndyCar this season, and he’s primed to finally make a strong championship run.
There are few drivers on the grid with stronger pedigree than the Kiwi, who is a multiple V8 Supercar champion.
It didn’t take him long to adjust to life in single-seaters, and his driver’s standing has gradually improved with each year, and now he’s tongue twistingly close to contending for a title.
If it wasn’t for a St Petersburg disqualification, where he lost a win, he would likely have been very close to Alex Palou’s points tally heading into the final race of 2024 in Nashville.
What does Scott McLaughlin need to do next to take the next step?
After his win at the Milwaukee Mile in the penultimate race of the 2024 season, McLaughlin has now claimed victories on both road and oval courses.
It was one of the final ingredients left for him to prove that he is capable of going further than he has done so far in his IndyCar career.
If he can combine that newfound element of oval pace with his raw speed and consistency throughout the year – he might just be Palou’s closest challenger.
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The Spaniard has won three of the last four IndyCar championships for Chip Ganassi and shows no signs of slowing down.
However, McLaughlin drives for what is probably the best team currently, unless CGR can find further improvements after shrinking its operation from five to three cars.
Could the Indy 500 be the key to success?
Eight times he appeared on the podium in 2024 (easily could’ve been nine) which is a mightily impressive record with just 18 races on the calendar.
That is championship-winning form and marks a clear progression from the four he managed in the year prior.
Another area where he has improved year on year, is at the Indy 500, except for a downer in 2022 which can be ignored as an anomaly.
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He turned the pole into a sixth-place finish in 2024, which means there’s more in the tank for him to crack next time around.
With just a few more positions and no disqualification, he would’ve been champion – so the formula for success is clear.
Avoid penalties and find a little more pace at IndyCar’s headline event, and he may just be hoisting the big trophy at the end of the season.