Scott McLaughlin started the IndyCar season on the backfoot, but has steadily managed to drag himself back into contention for the championship as it draws to a conclusion.
He was stripped of third place at the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg after it was discovered he was using push-to-pass during restarts.
That disqualification may end up costing him dearly, as he would likely be second instead of fifth in the IndyCar standings currently if it wasn’t for the misdemeanour.
Over the last five races, he has reached the podium on four occasions and is keeping himself in contention in the event that Alex Palou has a disaster in the final four events of the year.
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Scott McLaughlin aware he must ‘perform well’ to stand a chance of IndyCar title
While 73 points may seem like an insurmountable total, clawing back 18 points per race between now and the end of the season is still possible, but likely demands near perfection from McLaughlin.
“There’s no doubt I’ve come from basically the back at the start of this year, and we’ve found ourselves in position in less races,” he told Motorsport.com.
“There’s anything that can happen in this sport. It takes one bad race from Palou, and everyone is jumping down his neck.
“I think we’re well in reach to get there if we can perform well on the ovals, which I know I feel comfortable on the ovals now. There’s no doubt in my mind we can get there. Yeah, 100 percent confidence.”
Can McLaughlin draw on his experience to win in 2024?
Despite finishing third in last year’s championship, the Kiwi driver was over 150 points behind eventual winner Alex Palou.
This year, his consistency has improved and in a never-say-die attitude, he has an outside chance of competing for his maiden title with four events to go.
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Nine top six finishes in 14 events compared to nine across the whole of last season suggests that he has also levelled up his performances.
Whether this is as a result of experience and track knowledge over luck is hard to assess, but McLaughlin is steadily asserting himself as a regular nuisance for his rivals every weekend.
With Team Penske, he knows he will have the car to compete at almost every race, so keeping four wheels on the road could be the recipe for success he is looking for throughout the remainder of 2024.