Supercars learning helps Scott McLaughlin stay calm amid Alex Palou's ominous IndyCar run

Scott McLaughlin entered the 2025 IndyCar season as one of the favorites to challenge Alex Palou for the championship. However, the reigning champion looks primed to cruise away with his fourth title with three wins and a podium in the opening four races.

At the Children's of Alabama Indy GP on Sunday (May 4), Palou started on pole and led 81 of 90 laps to take his second win at the circuit where he won his first IndyCar race in 2021. He prevented McLaughlin from achieving a three-peat at the track. The Team Penske driver finished P3 on the podium, his first of the 2025 season.

In the post-race press conference, Scott McLaughlin was asked how frustrating it felt to keep giving his best, and seeing Alex Palou ease his way to race wins.

"It's not frustrating. At the end of the day you can only do as much as you can. I mean, I'm driving the thing as fast as I can. Christian is doing the same thing. Alex is doing the best job he can. That turns out to be a really good job and solid. We all know it was going to be that way," he said via ASAP Sports.

The No. 3 Chevy driver spoke about his learnings from the Supercars championship in Australia, where he won three consecutive titles after finishing third and second in the standings in the two years before.

"When a guy is at the top of his game, all you can do is try to be at the top of yours. We had a third-place car and we came in third. That's all we can do. Nothing more, nothing less. I learnt that when I was racing Supercars, championship campaigns. You just got to be there. It is all swings and roundabouts. We'll be strong at places he won't. Just got to capitalize," he added.

Scott McLaughlin's podium finish at Barber improved his position in the standings from eighth to fifth. Palou's win extended his championship lead to 60 points.

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Scott McLaughlin doesn't believe Alex Palou is unbeatable

Scott McLaughlin drives his No. 3 Chevy at IndyCar's Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Alex Palou has been flawless with his racecraft this season, and his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing team has given him the perfect car and race strategy each race weekend so far. However, Scott McLaughlin believes that the cracks will show up at some point in the season, and that is when he'll look to capitalize.

"I think Alex is one of the best racing car drivers I've ever come across. He's the whole deal. That doesn't mean we can't beat him, as I said. Yeah, we know where we can improve, different facets that I can't really expose. Ultimately, I think if we just keep knocking on the door. Everyone has a bad race at some point. You got to try and keep knocking on the door there," he said after the race (via ASAP Sports).

The upcoming race weekend is the Sonsio IndyCar Grand Prix from May 8 to 10. Palou will carry the winning momentum from Barber into the race at the IMS road course, where he is the defending two-time winner. McLaughlin would be looking to prevent his CGR rival's three-peat as he did at Barber.