“I’m sad”: Scott McLaughlin doubles down on his criticism about F1’s decision to overlap the Canadian GP with the Indy 500

Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin has voiced his disapproval of Formula 1’s decision to swap the Monaco Grand Prix with the Canadian Grand Prix on the fourth Sunday in May. That particular Sunday holds a special place in the hearts of fans, traditionally featuring a trio of iconic events across different disciplines: Formula 1’s Monaco GP, the Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, affectionately dubbed "Motorsport Christmas".

This change has disappointed many within the motorsports community who cherish the three races being held on the same day. Among those disappointed was driver Scott McLaughlin. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he expressed his disappointment over the change.

"Congrats to @f1 who single handedly ruined Motorsport Xmas. Indy 500 will be a scene next year. As well as the Coke 600. Good luck," wrote McLaughlin.

In another post, he clarified his harsh criticism, explaining the race fan in him enjoyed watching the iconic races on the same day.

Ahead of the second oval race of the Indy 500 season scheduled for June 15th at World Wide Technology Raceway, he was once again asked about Canadian GP sharing Indy 500's weekend from the 2026 season, and if he is frustrated about the change.

"I mean, for me from a racing fan in me, I'm sad because I really enjoy watching F1 in the morning, obviously racing myself, then the Charlotte race in the evening. I did that for years. It was like a challenge in Australia, New Zealand, to see who could stay up the longest during that time. That's just how it worked out. I did that since I was I can't even tell you, like 12 years old.....Yeah, I guess that day was so cool for the general motorsport fans. Yeah, they single-handedly ruined it, like I said in my tweet (smiling), he McLaughlin (via ASAPsports)

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"Champions are made learning from their mistakes," Scott McLaughlin reflects on his tough month at IndyCar

Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Scott McLaughlin’s campaign at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway faced an early setback when he crashed during practice. Later that day, Team Penske was involved in a cheating scandal as illegal modifications were discovered on the cars of teammates Josef Newgarden and Will Power.

In the days that followed, the situation escalated. Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske, the IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indianapolis 500, responded with decisive internal action. He dismissed his top three IndyCar executives, including longtime president Tim Cindric, who had been instrumental in shaping the team’s competitive success over the past 25 years.

Despite Newgarden and Power's penalties of starting from the back of the starting grid for the Indianapolis 500, McLaughlin remained unaffected by the infractions and retained his 10th-place starting position. With a restructured pit crew, he remained focused on securing his first victory at the iconic event. However, he crashed on the warm-up lap.

Next, he turned to the following weekend’s race on the streets of Detroit. Unfortunately, contact with Arrow McLaren driver Nolan Siegel led to an incident that forced Siegel out of the race. Scott McLaughlin ultimately finished 12th and last among the Penske drivers in Detroit.

"That whole month was pretty tough. It started really well. It ended in a couple bad ways,” McLaughlin acknowledged. “It was one of, if not the lowest, points of my career. But it’s something that I’ll learn from. Champions are made by learning from their mistakes.”

Former pole-sitter of the Indy 500, Scott McLaughlin, is currently 8th in the championship with 164 points.