IndyCar points table: Where drivers stand after 2025 St. Petersburg race

Alex Palou made the perfect start to his NTT IndyCar Series title defense by winning the 2025 season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver, who won the championship in 2023 and 2024, once again finds himself at the top of the standings as he looks to secure a third consecutive title and his fourth overall.

Palou started the race from eighth place, but his performance in practice and qualifying showed that his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda had strong pace. With a well-executed strategy and a strong pace behind the wheel, he worked his way to the front.

The defining moment of his race came on Lap 73 when he gained track position over teammate Scott Dixon through an undercut pit stop. Two laps later, Palou took the lead permanently when Felix Rosenqvist pitted, allowing the former to control the final stretch of the race.

Dixon, who finished second, faced a challenge when his radio malfunctioned, preventing him from discussing strategy with his team before his last stop. This resulted in him losing time in traffic, whereas Palou maximized his in and out laps to gain an advantage.

"What an amazing job by everybody," Palou said after the race (via IndyCar). "They gave me everything we needed this weekend to win. I told you yesterday we had a really, really fast car."

Two-time NTT IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden rounded out the podium, followed by his Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who was the pole sitter for the race. However, their championship standings are reversed with McLaughlin ahead of Newgarden in third. Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top five in the race.

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NTT IndyCar Series standings after the Firestone GP of St. Petersburg

Here’s the 2025 IndyCar Championship standings after the season-opening round at St. Petersburg:

1. Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) - 51 points

2. Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) - 41 points

3. Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) - 36 points

4. Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) - 36 points

5. Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global) - 30 points

6. Marcus Ericsson (Andretti Global) - 28 points

7. Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank Racing) - 26 points

8. Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) - 25 points

9. Rinus Veekay (Dale Coyne Racing) - 22 points

10. Alexander Rossi (Ed Carpenter Racing) - 20 points

11. Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) - 19 points

12. Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) - 18 points

13. David Malukas (A. J. Foyt Racing) - 17 points

14. Santino Ferrucci (A. J. Foyt Racing) - 16 points

15. Colton Herta (Andretti Global) - 15 points

16. Christian Rasmussen (Ed Carpenter Racing) - 15 points

17. Conor Daly (Juncos Hollinger Racing) - 13 points

18. Kyffin Simpson (Chip Ganassi Racing) - 12 points

19. Callum Ilott (Prema Racing) - 11 points

20. Robert Shwartzman (Prema Racing) - 10 points

21. Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Hollinger Racing) - 9 points

22. Devlin DeFrancesco (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) - 8 points

23. Jacob Abel (Dale Coyne Racing) - 7 points

24. Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing) – 7 points

25. Louis Foster (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) – 5 points

26. Will Power (Team Penske) – 5 points

27. Nolan Siegel (Arrow McLaren) – 5 points

These 27 drivers will resume their 2025 campaign at The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix in California on March 23.