Today’s question: Other than Alex Palou's continued dominance, what was your biggest takeaway from the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg?

Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Curt Cavin: We can break down the drivers and their teams in the days and weeks to come, but I continue to be firm in my belief that St. Petersburg is the best place to open each NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. For starters, the waterfront setting is spectacular, and it’s great not only for those in attendance but also those watching on television. Second, while various weekends have been utilized since the event debuted in 2003, St. Petersburg remains a spring destination for most of the country itching for warmer weather and bright sunshine. Third, the racing is usually interesting. Yes, Alex Palou disappeared from the field in the second two-thirds of the race, but again there were entertaining battles throughout the field, and this street circuit has trouble spots, which leads to highlight moments. Ultimately, you want a season-opening event to capture the attention of the fans, and St. Petersburg delivers that year after year.

Christian Lundgaard

Eric Smith: My biggest takeaway was the impact some early personnel changes had on their teams. Tim Cindric returned to Team Penske as becoming only the strategist for Scott McLaughlin. The No. 3 team qualified on the pole and finished second. Barry Wanser stepped back from his senior management role at Chip Ganassi Racing to focus solely on strategy for Alex Palou. The result? A victory. Bill Pappas rejoined Dale Coyne Racing as an engineer, and Romain Grosjean credited him heavily for the team’s performance. Dale Coyne Racing placed two cars in the Firestone Fast Six, with both finishing in the top 10 on a road or street course for the first time since 2021. Christian Lundgaard (photo, above) has Kyle Moyer calling strategy on his pit stand at Arrow McLaren, and that pairing delivered a third-place finish. Several offseason personnel moves already appear to be paying off.

Paul Kelly: It was a tale of two weekends for two drivers looking to flip the script on tough 2025 seasons as quickly as possible. The box score showed Josef Newgarden (photo, top) finished seventh for Team Penske, so on the surface it appears the misery that afflicted Newgarden in his one-win 2025 season hasn’t subsided. But this was a drive for which Newgarden can be proud because he rallied from a dismal qualifying result of 23rd to salvage solid points in the opener. Nobody is more irritated by finishing second or lower in this series than Newgarden, but he should take heart in this result. Will Power entered this season oozing motivation, wanting to start his tenure with Andretti Global with a strong finish after leaving Team Penske after 16 full-time seasons. But the weekend left a lot to be desired for Willy P, who struggled with braking problems, qualified 13th and retired from the race after completing just 55 of 100 laps due to damage inflicted when he brushed the wall early in the race. It sure appears Andretti’s cars aren’t set up yet to Power’s liking, so he may need to show more patience as both he and his engineers adapt.