IndyCar 2026 – Championship standings after Phoenix

For the American, this is a start to the season that contrasts sharply with his disastrous 2025, which was nevertheless salvaged at the last minute by his victory on the Nashville oval. Now leading the championship, he has a five-point advantage over Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global), who finished second in the Phoenix race, and twelve over his teammate Scott McLaughlin.

Winner of the opening round and logically the first championship leader, three-time defending champion Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) drops to fifth place following his retirement in the early laps of the race. He had made a good start with an eighth-place finish on the streets of St. Petersburg, Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing) has fallen heavily in the championship standings as it is now seventeenth, after being forced to retire before the start of the race due to a mechanical problem.

Season 2026 ofIndyCar continues next Sunday with the Arlington race in Texas.

ALSO READ > Josef Newgarden wins the strategy game in Phoenix

Indy Car 2026
The league standings after Phoenix (2/18)

1) Josef Newgarden (Team Penske-Chevrolet) – 78 pts
2) Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global-Honda) – 73 pts
3) Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske-Chevrolet) – 66 pts
4) Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet) – 63 pts
5) Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda) – 59 pts
6) David Malukas (Team Penske-Chevrolet) – 56 pts
7) Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet) – 54 pts
8) Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing-Honda) – 50 pts
9) Marcus Ericsson (Andretti Global-Honda) – 43 pts
10) Alexander Rossi (ECR-Chevrolet) – 42 pts
11) Dennis Hauger (Dale Coyne Racing-Honda) – 36 pts
12) Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank Racing-Honda) – 36 pts
13) Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda) – 35 pts
14) Kyffin Simpson (Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda) – 35 pts
15) Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda) – 34 pts
16) Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Hollinger Racing-Chevrolet) – 30 pts
17) Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing-Honda) – 29 pts
18) Christian Rasmussen (ECR-Chevrolet) – 28 pts
19) Santino Ferrucci (AJ Foyt Racing-Chevrolet) – 25 pts
20) Caio Collet (AJ Foyt Racing-Chevrolet) – 24 pts
21) Louis Foster (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda) – 24 pts
22) Will Power (Andretti Global-Honda) – 23 pts
23) Nolan Siegel (Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet) – 20 pts
24) Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Hollinger Racing-Chevrolet) – 18 pts
25) Mick Schumacher (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda) – 17 pts