5 IndyCar drivers who leave Laguna Seca with major setbacks

Alex Palou dominated the IndyCar race at Laguna Seca after taking the pole position and leading over 80 laps. Christian Lundgaard finished on the podium once again after the form he showcased in the early races of the 2025 season.

Colton Herta started and finished the race in P3. Prema Racing’s Callum Ilott and CGR’s Scott Dixon were some of the biggest movers starting P24 and P19, respectively, and finishing inside the Top 6.

However, some drivers like Jacob Abel and Kyffin Simpson didn't really have any positive takeaways from the race at Laguna Seca. Pato O'Ward, on the other hand, lost out to Alex Palou in the championship. Let's have a look at five IndyCar drivers who leave the Grand Prix of Monterey with major setbacks.

#1 Pato O'Ward

Pato O'Ward came into the race at Laguna Seca trailing Alex Palou by 99 points in the championship. Despite Laguna Seca being a strong track for the Spaniard, O'Ward needed to minimize the damage in case Palou won the race.

NTT INDYCAR Series Java House Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty

Palou took the pole position and the race win. O'Ward started in P2, but fell back through the race, being overtaken by his teammate Christian Lundgaard midway through the race. O'Ward finished the race in P4, increasing the gap to 121 points.

#2 Josef Newgarden

Josef Newgarden made the Fast 6 session after the disappointment at the previous qualifying session. However, Newgarden didn't have the race pace and finished outside the Top 10, with both his teammates finishing the race ahead of him.

#3 Kyffin Simpson

Kyffin Simpson finished the last IndyCar race in Toronto on the podium and was looking to build momentum at Laguna Seca. Simpson started the race on the seventh row but crashed with Felix Rosenqvist on the first lap. While the MSR driver was able to continue, Simpson had extensive damage to the car and retired.

#4 Jacob Abel

The IndyCar rookie has had a difficult debut season in the series. The Dale Coyne Racing driver retired in Iowa and also DNF’d from the last IndyCar race in Toronto. The Laguna Seca race had a similar fate planned for Abel, who crashed out on Lap 10.

#5 Marcus Ericsson

Marcus Ericsson came into the 2025 season with the aim of improving his performance from the 2024 season. The Andretti Global driver finished last season 15th in the standings. However, the 2025 season has been worse for Ericsson, who currently sits 20th.

NTT INDYCAR Series Java House Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty

The Andretti Global driver had a strong finish at the last race in Toronto, where he finished in the Top 5. Starting in P15, he crashed out of the race on Lap 78, finishing P25 in the final qualifications.