BREAKING NEWS: Josef Newgarden angrily explains his major disappointment at the first race of the 2026 IndyCar season, having failed to qualify for the first round at St. Pete.

The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season kicked off this weekend with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, but for two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and former series champion Josef Newgarden, the event started with a shocking setback. The Team Penske driver, piloting the No. 2 Astemo Chevrolet, failed to advance out of the opening round of qualifying—known as Q1—leaving him to start the race from a disappointing 23rd position on the 25-car grid.

Qualifying took place on the tight, 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, on Saturday, February 28, ahead of Sunday’s main event on March 1. Newgarden, a two-time winner at this venue in 2019 and 2020, entered the weekend as one of the pre-race favorites, especially after a challenging 2025 campaign where he and his Team Penske teammates struggled for consistency. The team had high hopes for a strong reset in 2026, but the qualifying session delivered the opposite.

During his hot lap in Group 1 of Q1, Newgarden encountered trouble in the final corner. He got loose, sliding wide and losing valuable time. Although he managed to save the car from a potential crash, the mistake ruined the lap, and he ran out of time to set another competitive flyer. As a result, he finished dead last in his qualifying group, well outside the top performers needed to advance to Q2 and the chance for a better starting spot.

In a post-qualifying interview with media, including INDYCAR on FOX and other outlets, Newgarden did not hold back his frustration. Visibly upset, the 35-year-old driver expressed deep disappointment over the outcome, describing it as a major blow to start the new season. He pointed to issues with the timing and strategy of his out-lap and push lap, stating that “the sequencing was all off.” This referred to the critical coordination between his on-track run, tire temperature management, and traffic considerations on the demanding street course, where clean air and optimal grip are essential for fast laps.

Newgarden’s tone was one of anger mixed with self-criticism, as he explained how the misstep in the final sector cost him dearly. He highlighted the intense competition in the series, where margins are razor-thin, and even small errors can drop a top driver to the back of the pack. “It’s incredibly frustrating,” he said, according to reports from Sportskeeda and INDYCAR sources. “We came here expecting to fight at the front, and instead, we’re starting from nearly last. The car had pace earlier in practice, but qualifying just didn’t come together.

The way things unfolded in that last corner—it’s on me, but it’s a hard pill to swallow for the whole team.”

The setback echoes some difficulties from the previous year, when Newgarden and Team Penske faced similar qualifying woes at times. In 2025, the team endured a tough season overall, with Newgarden finishing as the lowest among his teammates. This year, however, the expectations were higher following offseason adjustments and the motivation to rebound. Teammate Scott McLaughlin delivered a strong performance by securing pole position with a lap of 1:00.5426, showing the potential within the Penske camp. Marcus Ericsson joined him on the front row, while rookies and surprises like Dennis Hauger made headlines by advancing deep into the sessions.

Newgarden’s elimination in Q1 was not isolated; six-time champion Scott Dixon also failed to advance, starting 16th after a similar late-corner slide. The results underscored the unforgiving nature of St. Pete qualifying, where track evolution, tire management, and precise execution separate the top from the rest.

Despite the poor starting position, Newgarden remains optimistic about race day. St. Petersburg’s street course often produces chaotic races with opportunities for passing, strategy plays around cautions, and tire degradation that can shuffle the order dramatically. Newgarden has a proven record of charging through the field at this event, including podium finishes in recent years. He emphasized that the race is far from over and that his team would focus on a clean start, strong pit stops, and capitalizing on any incidents ahead.

“I think we can move forward,” Newgarden added in his comments. “The car feels capable, and we’ve shown we can recover from bad starts before. But right now, it’s just disappointing to throw away a chance like this at the beginning of the year.”

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg serves as the traditional season opener, drawing large crowds to the scenic waterfront venue. With the race broadcast live on FOX starting at noon ET on March 1, fans will watch to see if Newgarden can turn his anger into motivation and climb through the field. For a driver of his caliber—boasting two Indy 500 victories, multiple wins, and championship pedigree—starting near the rear is rare and fuels added determination.

Team Penske, one of the most successful organizations in IndyCar history, will look to McLaughlin’s pole as a bright spot while addressing Newgarden’s issues. The team’s engineers and strategists will analyze data overnight to prepare for the 100-lap race, where strategy, fuel mileage, and avoiding trouble will be key.

As the 2026 season begins, Newgarden’s candid and heated explanation of his qualifying failure highlights the high stakes and emotional investment in IndyCar. What was supposed to be a fresh start has instead become a test of resilience for one of the series’ biggest stars. Whether he can channel that disappointment into a stirring comeback will be one of the major storylines to watch as the green flag drops on Sunday.