The 20-lap final, which was split into two segments, saw McLaughlin as the main challenger to Alex Palou, who had been a standout throughout a weekend that included nine hours of testing on Friday and Saturday.
Even though the 30-year-old New Zealander displayed strong pace, he was left watching the rear wing of Palou’s No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda sail off into the distance and claim victory by 5.7929s.
