After signing to drive for Arrow McLaren on a multi-year deal, top 10 finishes in IndyCar were almost inevitably going to arrive for 19-year-old Nolan Siegel.
Two 12th-placed finishes in the space of five events was as close as he got before the Grand Prix of Madison at Gateway, where he made his final breakthrough.
A first IndyCar top 10, with a seventh-placed finish that could have been even higher as the American driver protested that he couldl have been on the podium.
That’s if he wasn’t handed a drive-through penalty for speeding on pit road just past the halfway stage of the race on lap 147.
READ MORE: Every IndyCar Series team’s confirmed driver line-up for the 2025 season
Nolan Siegel ‘definitely got lucky’ in first IndyCar top 10 finish
A combination of attrition and mechanical issues allowed Siegel to make progress throughout the race, but one incident in particular, nearly ended his hopes with just ten laps to go.
“Definitely got lucky not to break a front wing or anything. I was a bit worried about that after that hit. It was a good little smack,” he said to Frontstretch Open Wheel after narrowly avoiding a crash between teammate Alexander Rossi and Will Power.
“The car was fine after that, plain fast, so we made up more spots at the end at the last restart. I got right up to speed and we were ready to go and it made a massive difference this weekend and I think that shows we did expect to be strong.
“I think had the race played out a little differently without that pit lane speed penalty we could’ve been fighting for a podium which I think is probably better than what we were expecting but very happy to be in that position.”
Nolan Siegel is building the foundations for a successful 2025 IndyCar campaign
Siegel has four more races this year to get comfortable with his McLaren machinery and put himself in the best position to perform next season.
He may not be expected to compete for the championship at the tender age of 20, but he will be expected to pick up more results just like he did at Gateway this weekend.
It may even be to his advantage that three of the four events left this season are on ovals, where Siegel looked at ease throughout the Gateway weekend.
But that could also have been down to the fact that the American was driving on a track that he had already tested on before for the first time in his career.
The upcoming Grand Prix of Portland is the last road course of the year, providing Siegel with one final opportunity to learn about his McLaren car on a track with right-hand corners too.