After almost six months, IndyCar is returning this weekend. 

Scott Dixon, Marcus Amstrong, and Scott McLaughlin are all lining up on the streets of St Petersburg for the first race – the same streets where McLaughlin got pole last year.  

However, McLaughlin has admitted that 2025 was a frustrating year, as he finished 10th in the Championship with three podiums.  

He told Mike Hosking that it was really the lowest of lows for him in many cases, and he’s trying to turn that negative into a positive. 

McLaughlin says he doesn’t have to do too much differently, he just has to execute it better. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

After almost six months, IndyCar is returning this weekend.&nbsp;
Scott Dixon, Marcus Amstrong, and Scott McLaughlin are all lining up on the streets of St Petersburg for the first race – the same streets where McLaughlin got pole last year. &nbsp;
However, McLaughlin has admitted that 2025 was a frustrating year, as he finished 10th in the Championship with three podiums. &nbsp;
He told Mike Hosking that it was really the lowest of lows for him in many cases, and he’s trying to turn that negative into a positive.&nbsp;
McLaughlin says he doesn’t have to do too much differently, he just has to execute it better.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more.

The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Scott McLaughlin: Kiwi IndyCar driver ahead of the 2026 season

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f66578b1-a480-46ff-9b72-b3fc0158a253/transcript

Let this be a lesson to all those who argue against the simple truism that the market, most of the time, tends to be right. 

Moana Pasifika are in liquidation, the vote was held and the story ends here. 

The trouble is the taxpayer footed a lot of the bill and the money is gone, flushed down an ideological toilet. 

If the idea was such a sensational one, someone actually using their own money would have thought of it and further put it into practice. 

But the idea wasn't a sensational one. It was an artificial one propped up with other people's money. 

The most immediate alarm bells should be ringing in the NRL with their PNG venture. 

Having been handed millions by the Australian Government, players will live in a compound because it's too unsafe not to, and their pay will be artificially jacked up by tax treatment. Otherwise, if it wasn't, no one would want to play in PNG. 

Gosh I wonder why. 

The fact this harebrained idea has got as far as it has actually defies what is going on elsewhere in the sport, which is good. And what else it defies is belief. 

But back to Moana Pasifika, it was taxpayers’ money through a series of very, very loosely connected organisations to sport i.e. a medical group who, if you join some dots, you can argue if you run around you might be a bit fitter and then not end up dying young. That sort of logic. Anyway, a medical group who ended up in charge of a professional sports team who didn't really attract a crowd and didn't really turn out to be that good. 

Which is one of the great ironies – young Pacific kids were supposed to see their heroes and be inspired to be fit and play sport. You know what inspires kids? Winners. You’ve got to win. 

And those kids could see their heroes anyway in the Crusaders, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders, and the Blues. 

No one ever watched Lomu or Jones and wondered aloud to themselves, "wouldn't it be cool if they had their own, local team?" 

So it ends in liquidation, a bad idea, with easy money, not properly executed and ending in the poor house. 

In a world where successful sport is all around us, why would you try and gerrymander it in such an amateurish fashion? 

Let this be a lesson to all those who argue against the simple truism that the market, most of the time, tends to be right.&nbsp;
Moana Pasifika are in liquidation, the vote was held and the story ends here.&nbsp;
The trouble is the taxpayer footed a lot of the bill and the money is gone, flushed down an ideological toilet.&nbsp;
If the idea was such a sensational one, someone actually using their own money would have thought of it and further put it into practice.&nbsp;
But the idea wasn't a sensational one. It was an artificial one propped up with other people's money.&nbsp;
The most immediate alarm bells should be ringing in the NRL with their PNG venture.&nbsp;
Having been handed millions by the Australian Government, players will live in a compound because it's too unsafe not to, and their pay will be artificially jacked up by tax treatment. Otherwise, if it wasn't, no one would want to play in PNG.&nbsp;
Gosh I wonder why.&nbsp;
The fact this harebrained idea has got as far as it has actually defies what is going on elsewhere in the sport, which is good. And what else it defies is belief.&nbsp;
But back to Moana Pasifika, it was taxpayers’ money through a series of very, very loosely connected organisations to sport i.e. a medical group who, if you join some dots, you can argue if you run around you might be a bit fitter and then not end up dying young. That sort of logic. Anyway, a medical group who ended up in charge of a professional sports team who didn't really attract a crowd and didn't really turn out to be that good.&nbsp;
Which is one of the great ironies – young Pacific kids were supposed to see their heroes and be inspired to be fit and play sport. You know what inspires kids? Winners. You’ve got to win.&nbsp;
And those kids could see their heroes anyway in the Crusaders, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders, and the Blues.&nbsp;
No one ever watched Lomu or Jones and wondered aloud to themselves, "wouldn't it be cool if they had their own, local team?"&nbsp;
So it ends in liquidation, a bad idea, with easy money, not properly executed and ending in the poor house.&nbsp;
In a world where successful sport is all around us, why would you try and gerrymander it in such an amateurish fashion?&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Moana Pasifika showed the market was right

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a64086b6-fa95-4a32-8bdf-b456016fb396/transcript

A Former Finance Minister expects this year's Budget to invest in health, education, and defence – with cuts elsewhere. 

Budget 2026 is being unveiled tomorrow, opening up the Government's books and detailing when a return to surplus is possible. 

Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking re-prioritisation is the story of the week, and he's backing further cost-savings in the public sector. 

The Government aims to cut around 8,700 jobs in the public service by mid-2029, with savings set to be re-invested. 

Joyce told Hosking we've had an increase in public servants since 2017, but outcomes aren't significantly better. 

He says many believe it has just increased the churn, and number of meetings. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

A Former Finance Minister expects this year's Budget to invest in health, education, and defence – with cuts elsewhere.&nbsp;
Budget 2026 is being unveiled tomorrow, opening up the Government's books and detailing when a return to surplus is possible.&nbsp;
Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking re-prioritisation is the story of the week, and he's backing further cost-savings in the public sector.&nbsp;
The Government aims to cut around 8,700 jobs in the public service by mid-2029, with savings set to be re-invested.&nbsp;
Joyce told Hosking we've had an increase in public servants since 2017, but outcomes aren't significantly better.&nbsp;
He says many believe it has just increased the churn, and number of meetings.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Steven Joyce: Former Finance Minister previews Budget 2026, backs public sector cuts

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a3cac514-795e-4eb9-b512-b456016903a7/transcript

A Government agency's confident its multi-million-dollar fuel saving campaign is working. 

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority has spent more than $3.5 million on ads encouraging people to drive smoothly and check tyre pressure. 

It estimates an average fuel reduction of more than two million litres of petrol a week, saving consumers more than $7 million. 

Chief Executive Dr Marcos Pelenur told Mike Hosking that while people may have already known some of the tips they shared, the campaign hopefully worked as a good reminder. 

He says that the fuel price obviously acts as the price signal, but what this does is tell people how to react to that signal. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

A Government agency's confident its multi-million-dollar fuel saving campaign is working.&nbsp;
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority has spent more than $3.5 million on ads encouraging people to drive smoothly and check tyre pressure.&nbsp;
It estimates an average fuel reduction of more than two million litres of petrol a week, saving consumers more than $7 million.&nbsp;
Chief Executive Dr Marcos Pelenur told Mike Hosking that while people may have already known some of the tips they shared, the campaign hopefully worked as a good reminder.&nbsp;
He says that the fuel price obviously acts as the price signal, but what this does is tell people how to react to that signal.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Marcos Pelenur: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority CEO on the public ad campaign on how to save fuel

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ba21c094-ec46-457e-a79a-b45601633dfb/transcript

Scott McLaughlin: Kiwi IndyCar driver ahead of the 2026 season

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