2026 NTT IndyCar Series Season Preview: Firestone GP of St. Petersburg Set to Ignite the Streets

The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season roars to life this weekend on the picturesque streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. From Friday, February 27 through Sunday, March 1, the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit — winding through downtown St. Pete and incorporating a runway at Albert Whitted Airport — will host the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, marking the 23rd IndyCar race on these demanding roads.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Four-time champion Alex Palou (pictured) headlines the storylines as he begins his quest to etch his name deeper into IndyCar history. The Chip Ganassi Racing star arrives as the defending series champion for the fourth time in five seasons (titles in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025) and the reigning St. Petersburg winner. A fifth title in 2026 would make Palou the first driver since Sébastien Bourdais (2004-07) to win four consecutive championships.

2025 Race Recap

Last year’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg delivered instant drama and a masterclass performance. Chaos erupted on Lap 1 when Nolan Siegel, Will Power, and Louis Foster were collected in a multi-car incident, scrambling the field. Pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) controlled the early stages, but it was defending champion Alex Palou who stole the show. In a flawless display of strategy, tire management, and relentless pace aboard the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Palou took the lead and held on for a 2.8669-second victory over teammate Scott Dixon.

Remarkably, Dixon completed the final 90 laps of the 100-lap race without radio communication yet still charged to second place. Josef Newgarden rounded out the podium in third, capping a thrilling season opener that foreshadowed Palou’s dominant 2025 championship campaign.

Four-time champion Alex Palou headlines the storylines as he begins his quest to etch his name deeper into IndyCar history. The Chip Ganassi Racing star arrives as the defending series champion for the fourth time in five seasons (titles in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025) and the reigning St. Petersburg winner. A fifth title in 2026 would make Palou the first driver since Sébastien Bourdais (2004-07) to win four consecutive championships.

What to Watch For

Palou’s Historic Chase: Can the Spaniard in the No. 10 DHL Honda make it five titles in six years? He’ll face a stacked field on a track where he triumphed so convincingly in 2025.
Scott Dixon’s St. Pete Curse: The six-time champion and IndyCar’s all-time wins leader (second only to A.J. Foyt) remains winless in 21 starts here—the most of any active driver at a single venue. Yet Dixon has been consistently brilliant on these streets: five runner-up finishes, a 7.33 average finish, and top-10 results in his last 10 visits (including second in 2025).

The No. 9 PNC Bank Honda driver is gunning for that elusive first victory.

Will Power’s Qualifying Dominance: The modern-era pole king (71 career poles) owns this track in qualifying. Power has claimed nine of the last 16 St. Petersburg poles for Team Penske. In the past decade, only a handful of drivers (Robert Wickens, Colton Herta, Romain Grosjean, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin) have denied him the top spot here.

What to Watch For

– Palou’s Historic Chase: Can the Spaniard in the No. 10 DHL Honda make it five titles in six years? He’ll face a stacked field on a track where he triumphed in 2025.

– Scott Dixon’s St. Pete Curse: The six-time champion and IndyCar’s all-time wins leader (second only to A.J. Foyt) remains winless in 21 starts here — the most of any active driver at a single venue. Yet Dixon has been consistently brilliant on these streets: five runner-up finishes, a 7.33 average finish, and top-10 results in his last 10 visits (including second in 2025). The No. 9 PNC Bank Honda driver is gunning for that elusive first victory.

– Will Power’s Qualifying Dominance: The modern-era pole king (71 career poles) owns this track in qualifying. Power has claimed nine of the last 16 St. Petersburg poles for Team Penske. In the past decade, only a handful of drivers (Robert Wickens, Colton Herta, Romain Grosjean, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin) have denied him the top spot here.

Historical Notes & Milestones

– Team Penske leads with 11 St. Petersburg victories, including seven of the last 14.
– Only four drivers have ever won from pole: Hélio Castroneves (2007), Power (2010), Herta (2021), and McLaughlin (2022).
– Past winners entered this weekend: Power (twice), Newgarden (twice), Graham Rahal (2008), McLaughlin (2022), Marcus Ericsson (2023), Pato O’Ward (2024), and Palou (2025).
– Scott Dixon will make his record-extending 420th IndyCar start and his 22nd consecutive St. Petersburg appearance — the longest active streak.
– Rookie debuts in the NTT IndyCar Series: Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger (2025 Indy NXT winner at St. Pete), and Mick Schumacher.

How to Watch & At-Track Schedule (All Times ET)

Friday, Feb. 27
– 12:30 p.m. – INDY NXT Practice (FS2)
– 1:35 p.m. – IndyCar Practice (FS2)

Saturday, Feb. 28
– 8:35 a.m. – INDY NXT Practice (FS1)
– 9:35 a.m. – IndyCar Practice (FS1)
– 3:45 p.m. – INDY NXT Qualifying (FS2)
– 4:35 p.m. – IndyCar Qualifying (FS2)

Sunday, March 1
– 9:05 a.m. – IndyCar Warmup (FS1)
– 10:06 a.m. – INDY NXT Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (45 laps / FS1)
– 12:22 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines!”
– 12:29 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps / FOX, FOX Sports Deportes, FOX One, FOX Sports App)

Full TV Coverage
NTT IndyCar Series: Practice on FS1/FS2, Qualifying on FS2, Race live on FOX at Noon ET with Will Buxton, Townsend Bell, and James Hinchcliffe. Pit reporters: Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee, Jack Harvey.
INDY NXT: Live on FS1/FS2.

IndyCar Radio Network (Mark Jaynes, Davey Hamilton, and crew) airs live on SiriusXM 218, indycar.com/leaderboard, and the IndyCar App.

INDY NXT by Firestone Season Opener

The developmental series also kicks off its 17-race 2026 campaign on the same streets for the 14th time. Local favorite Nikita Johnson (Cape Motorsports) headlines five Florida drivers. The field features drivers from nine countries, with new teams AJ Foyt Racing, Juncos Hollinger Racing, and Cusick Morgan Motorsports joining the grid. Hauger, now in IndyCar, won last year’s NXT race here — a strong omen for any St. Pete winner chasing the 2026 title.

Push-to-Pass & Hybrid Parameters

– IndyCar: 150 seconds total (max 15s per activation), unlimited hybrid deployment (310 kJ/lap max).
– Indy NXT: 50 seconds total.

Tire Strategy

IndyCar teams receive five sets of primary and five alternate Firestone tires (rookies get one extra primary set). Must use one primary + two alternate sets for at least two race laps.

Social & More Info

Follow @GPSTPETE, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT | #FirestoneGP #INDYCAR
Event site: [gpstpete.com](https://www.gpstpete.com) | Full entry lists and schedule PDFs available via IndyCar.com.

The green flag drops Sunday at 12:29 p.m. ET on the streets of St. Petersburg — where history beckons, curses may finally break, and a new season of open-wheel racing excellence begins. Don’t miss it!