"This race can be very cruel": Scott McLaughlin's Indy 500-winning aide sympathizes with his pre-race mishap

Scott McLaughlin had readied a contingency to help him get into the zone at the 2025 Indy 500, which included former race winner Simon Pagenaud staying by his side at the fabled race. However, with the Kiwi dropping his car on the pace lap, the Frenchman shared how the race can be cruel despite having a welcoming nature at first.

Pagenaud drove for Team Penske before McLaughlin arrived and was aware of the Mooresville-based squad's track record at the Indy 500. His sole Indy 500 victory was powered by a Team Penske machine in 2019, and he arrived at the elusive race this year to guide his successor through the intricacies.

Moreover, after the qualifying segment, McLaughlin emerged as the lead Team Penske car and eagerly waited for his fifth attempt at the race to get underway. But disaster struck for the New Zealander as he lost the rear end of his car while trying to warm up his tires. He then crashed on the home stretch, disappointed with his performance.

Subsequently, ally Simon Pagenaud revealed how the Indy 500 is a cruel affair as Scott McLaughlin was taken away from the chance of fighting for the 200 laps even before seeing the green flag, and wrote on X:

"I feel for @smclaughlin93 and @Team_Penske. This race can be very cruel! Scott put so much work into this race in the last 2 years and so has this incredible team. No doubt they will bounce back, they are true champions. I really enjoyed being part of this team for the Indy 500."

McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden were the Team Penske retirees at the 2025 Indy 500.

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Scott McLaughlin had no words to explain his crash at the Indy 500

Scott McLaughlin and his crashed No. 3 Team Penske car at the 109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Crashing the car unprovoked left a deep mark on Scott McLaughlin. Not being able to see the sight of the green flag and ending his race prematurely left him speechless.

Reflecting on the incident in his interview after the crash, the 31-year-old said (via IndyCar):

"I really have no idea what happened, just really upset for my team who built me a fantastic car again. I am really sorry to my sponsors, my fans, my family–I don’t know what happened. I can’t believe we are out of the race. I had so much hope today. It is, by far, the worst moment of my life. I know that’s dramatic. But I put so much into this race. Everyone does and just didn't even get to see the green flag."

Meanwhile, this year marked one of the squad's worst finishes at the Indy 500, evoking some not-so-fond memories from its 2022 attempt at the race.