Latest news with #Pagenaud
Fox Sports
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Simon Pagenaud Teaching Indy Secrets to Eager Pupil Scott McLaughlin
INDYCAR Scott McLaughlin has an intense determination to conquer the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. That was evident in his meticulous preparation for last year's race, driving the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet. 'I think my racing career isn't complete until I win this race,' McLaughlin said. 'I just genuinely want to win this race out of everything on this planet. Even more than Bathurst 1000. For me it's everything.' Seeking every possible advantage, McLaughlin reached out to Simon Pagenaud – the 2016 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner – for advice on mastering the nuances of the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Pagenaud hasn't raced in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since July 2023, when he had a violent, barrel-rolling crash at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course while driving for Meyer Shank Racing. Their conversation, rooted in Pagenaud's winning experience with Team Penske, proved invaluable. 'I really enjoy working with him (Pagenaud), because it sort of brought it back to the Speedway, brought him back to something he loves,' McLaughlin said. 'He's really intense too, like, his preparation is next level, but it's bringing the next level for me.' The results spoke for themselves. McLaughlin not only demonstrated his growth but also made history in the process. He led a stunning Team Penske front-row sweep, the first time a team accomplished that feat since Penske in 1988, by capturing the NTT P1 Award with a record-setting four-lap qualifying average of 234.220 mph — the fastest pole speed in Indy 500 history. Pagenaud admitted he was in Virginia on the provisional qualifying day last year with his family, but broke away to see McLaughlin qualify. He noticed something that could help the pole run, so he phoned McLaughlin with advice. It worked. 'He's such a great student because he doesn't take anything the wrong way,' Pagenaud said. 'He has no ego, and he believes in what you tell him. He believes in it so strongly that he just does it. And he has this ability that's extraordinary.' The bond between them has blossomed into more than just a mentor-mentee relationship. They have a deep-rooted camaraderie built on mutual respect, shared values, and a love for the sport. The working relationship is closer this year, as Pagenaud has been in the Team Penske pits since practice started last week to help McLaughlin instead of being at the track just on Race Week. For McLaughlin, who admits to being a high-intensity personality, Pagenaud's composed and cerebral approach offers critical balance. Pagenaud, who was raised with a focus on hard work, meticulous note-taking and performance optimization, has become a calming influence for McLaughlin, particularly during the grueling Month of May leading up to the Indy 500. 'If you're at 100% intensity level the whole time, you're going to burn yourself out pretty quick,' McLaughlin said. Pagenaud helps manage that intensity, sending focused messages each morning to help his protégé stay mentally sharp and composed. Pagenaud's own journey took a dramatic turn after the harrowing crash at Mid-Ohio, halting his racing career. While navigating recovery and family life, he wasn't actively seeking a new role in racing. But when McLaughlin called asking for guidance, Pagenaud didn't hesitate — not because he needed something to do, but because of the character of the person asking. 'I wouldn't do this with any other driver because I appreciate the values that he has as a person, as a human being,' Pagenaud said. 'He has immense talents. I wish I had some of his talents. If you could put what I know and what he knows together, to me, that makes a really amazing package.' Their collaboration is aided by a shared familiarity with Team Penske, as McLaughlin's crew is essentially the same group Pagenaud worked with during his Indy 500 victory and championship run. That continuity makes the transition seamless and the emotional stakes higher. Pagenaud feels a different kind of pressure in this new role. 'It's obviously quite different,' Pagenaud said. 'I'm more stressed watching than I was driving. It's tough to send your friend to battle like that and take the responsibility that you might tell him something that could put him in danger.' Still, the trust between them runs deep. McLaughlin respects Pagenaud's input, and Pagenaud knows he's advising someone who's not only talented but also profoundly professional. And behind it all, there's a sense of gratitude — from Pagenaud, for the continued support of Team Penske after his accident and for the chance to still make an impact in the sport he loves. In many ways, their partnership is more than just about racing – it's about resilience, legacy, and the quiet strength of friendship. 'I'm trying to put myself in his shoes,' Pagenaud said. 'Obviously, driving into this track is always very emotional, even so now, because I'm very nostalgic of the great success I've had. I'm very grateful again. That makes for emotions to come out a bit. But I'm also very focused on trying to think about all the details I used to think about. 'When he goes out there, I'm trying to think exactly how I was thinking. And it's kind of reliving my life through his life. It's weird, but it allows me to. He gets it, and I don't have to force it. I just talk to him like I would talk to myself, and then he drinks it. He drinks like a fire hose. He can drink a lot. He's pretty impressive.' recommended
San Francisco Chronicle
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pagenaud easing back into motorsports after serious injury in 2023. Finding a new career outside car
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud's career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he's still battling nearly two years later. He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he won the Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar championship, 15 races and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He also doesn't want to dwell on his personal health, which has been a frustrating rollercoaster of improvements, setbacks, and constant rehabilitation to return to some normalcy and enjoy life with his wife and two young children. But the Frenchman will never be able to shake the motorsports bug — and he has a goal of one day returning to some form of racing because without goals, what does a racer even have? For now, though, he's adjusting to a slow comeback that began last year when Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin asked Pagenaud to be his driver coach at the Indianapolis 500. It wasn't as easy as he'd hoped because everything from his vision to the noise at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the vibration he felt as cars whizzed past the Team Penske timing stand disrupted his recovery. Even so, McLaughlin has him back this year as Pagenaud attempts to find a career outside the racecar. 'Last year he didn't know how he was going to feel with the noises, but he definitely feels a lot better,' McLaughlin said. 'I really enjoy working with him and bringing him back to the speedway, brought him back to something he loves. He's really intense, too. His preparation is next level.' It's just the start for Pagenaud's transition: Théo Pourchaire, a fellow Frenchman, announced Tuesday that Pagenaud will be his representation as Pourchaire tries to make a full-time move to racing in the United States. 'I don't want to be involved with the management of 30 drivers, but I want to be involved with the best,' Pagenaud said. 'I want to go to teams with a guy I know can perform. I don't want to put my name on someone and then have a team come back to me and say he didn't perform, the guy wasn't good enough. I've got to be selective and to me, I think Theo can be one of the best.' But that's not all for Pagenaud, who was contacted by Chevrolet and asked to help do simulator work for the manufacturer in a true case of 'just what the doctor ordered.' 'I had no idea if I was going to be of use, but I was very attracted by the idea and my doctors were very enthused by the chance to test myself on a moving simulator,' he said. 'I'm not going to lie — it was a big challenge personally — but it was awesome to have a reference, a new reference, of where I was at and how much I was struggling for different things. 'And we decided that we would do this a bit more frequently. It was very useful for my recovery. It's probably been the most useful therapy I've had, and when I'm talking about therapies, physical therapy, eye coordination, reconnecting the bridges in the brain, things that were not as seamless as they used to be.' Pagenaud is also open to a more formal role with former team Team Penske, where he spent seven seasons and time with their sports car program. Team President Tim Cindric didn't rule out a role within the organization for the driver who contributed one of Roger Penske's record 20 Indy 500 wins. McLaughlin has raved about what Pagenaud has brought him at Indy. 'I'm probably a detriment to my own career throughout the years — I haven't been as intricate with looking at little details, and I think Simon is the professor in that regard,' McLaughlin said. "He strives for perfection in a lot of ways in how he sets up his car and what he feels. He's probably allowing me to look into more details and just the way I look at myself and the driving, the lines and what I'm doing with weight jacker and bars. It's really helped sort of accelerate my progress here, and really am enjoying working with a friend, as well." That knowledge could be welcome inside Team Penske as a whole at some point, Cindric said. 'Simon is always welcome within our team,' Cindric said. "But Simon has a lot going on on his own, beyond our team. I know Simon has been offered some really good things to do, but there's only so much that Simon really wants to do. 'I think he can be a benefit for anybody around this place. I don't think there's any limit in terms of what he does, but at the same time, he wants to be productive. Just hanging around probably isn't what he wants to do, either. I think we have a pretty good balance, and we're always open to him within our team.'
Fox Sports
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Pagenaud easing back into motorsports after serious injury in 2023. Finding a new career outside car
Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud's career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he's still battling nearly two years later. He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he won the Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar championship, 15 races and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He also doesn't want to dwell on his personal health, which has been a frustrating rollercoaster of improvements, setbacks, and constant rehabilitation to return to some normalcy and enjoy life with his wife and two young children. But the Frenchman will never be able to shake the motorsports bug — and he has a goal of one day returning to some form of racing because without goals, what does a racer even have? For now, though, he's adjusting to a slow comeback that began last year when Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin asked Pagenaud to be his driver coach at the Indianapolis 500. It wasn't as easy as he'd hoped because everything from his vision to the noise at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the vibration he felt as cars whizzed past the Team Penske timing stand disrupted his recovery. Even so, McLaughlin has him back this year as Pagenaud attempts to find a career outside the racecar. 'Last year he didn't know how he was going to feel with the noises, but he definitely feels a lot better,' McLaughlin said. 'I really enjoy working with him and bringing him back to the speedway, brought him back to something he loves. He's really intense, too. His preparation is next level.' It's just the start for Pagenaud's transition: Theo Pourchaire, a fellow Frenchman, announced Tuesday that Pagenaud will be his representation as Pourchaire tries to make a full-time move to racing in the United States. 'I don't want to be involved with the management of 30 drivers, but I want to be involved with the best,' Pagenaud said. 'I want to go to teams with a guy I know can perform. I don't want to put my name on someone and then have a team come back to me and say he didn't perform, the guy wasn't good enough. I've got to be selective and to me, I think Theo can be one of the best.' But that's not all for Pagenaud, who was contacted by Chevrolet and asked to help do simulator work for the manufacturer in a true case of 'just what the doctor ordered.' 'I had no idea if I was going to be of use, but I was very attracted by the idea and my doctors were very enthused by the chance to test myself on a moving simulator,' he said. 'I'm not going to lie — it was a big challenge personally — but it was awesome to have a reference, a new reference, of where I was at and how much I was struggling for different things. 'And we decided that we would do this a bit more frequently. It was very useful for my recovery. It's probably been the most useful therapy I've had, and when I'm talking about therapies, physical therapy, eye coordination, reconnecting the bridges in the brain, things that were not as seamless as they used to be.' Pagenaud is also open to a more formal role with former team Team Penske, where he spent seven seasons and time with their sports car program. Team President Tim Cindric didn't rule out a role within the organization for the driver who contributed one of Roger Penske's record 20 Indy 500 wins. McLaughlin has raved about what Pagenaud has brought him at Indy. 'I'm probably a detriment to my own career throughout the years — I haven't been as intricate with looking at little details, and I think Simon is the professor in that regard,' McLaughlin said. "He strives for perfection in a lot of ways in how he sets up his car and what he feels. He's probably allowing me to look into more details and just the way I look at myself and the driving, the lines and what I'm doing with weight jacker and bars. It's really helped sort of accelerate my progress here, and really am enjoying working with a friend, as well." That knowledge could be welcome inside Team Penske as a whole at some point, Cindric said. 'Simon is always welcome within our team,' Cindric said. "But Simon has a lot going on on his own, beyond our team. I know Simon has been offered some really good things to do, but there's only so much that Simon really wants to do. 'I think he can be a benefit for anybody around this place. I don't think there's any limit in terms of what he does, but at the same time, he wants to be productive. Just hanging around probably isn't what he wants to do, either. I think we have a pretty good balance, and we're always open to him within our team.' ___ AP auto racing: recommended in this topic
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pagenaud easing back into motorsports after serious injury in 2023. Finding a new career outside car
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud's career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he's still battling nearly two years later. He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he won the Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar championship, 15 races and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He also doesn't want to dwell on his personal health, which has been a frustrating rollercoaster of improvements, setbacks, and constant rehabilitation to return to some normalcy and enjoy life with his wife and two young children. But the Frenchman will never be able to shake the motorsports bug — and he has a goal of one day returning to some form of racing because without goals, what does a racer even have? For now, though, he's adjusting to a slow comeback that began last year when Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin asked Pagenaud to be his driver coach at the Indianapolis 500. It wasn't as easy as he'd hoped because everything from his vision to the noise at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the vibration he felt as cars whizzed past the Team Penske timing stand disrupted his recovery. Even so, McLaughlin has him back this year as Pagenaud attempts to find a career outside the racecar. 'Last year he didn't know how he was going to feel with the noises, but he definitely feels a lot better,' McLaughlin said. 'I really enjoy working with him and bringing him back to the speedway, brought him back to something he loves. He's really intense, too. His preparation is next level.' It's just the start for Pagenaud's transition: Théo Pourchaire, a fellow Frenchman, announced Tuesday that Pagenaud will be his representation as Pourchaire tries to make a full-time move to racing in the United States. 'I don't want to be involved with the management of 30 drivers, but I want to be involved with the best,' Pagenaud said. 'I want to go to teams with a guy I know can perform. I don't want to put my name on someone and then have a team come back to me and say he didn't perform, the guy wasn't good enough. I've got to be selective and to me, I think Theo can be one of the best.' But that's not all for Pagenaud, who was contacted by Chevrolet and asked to help do simulator work for the manufacturer in a true case of 'just what the doctor ordered.' 'I had no idea if I was going to be of use, but I was very attracted by the idea and my doctors were very enthused by the chance to test myself on a moving simulator,' he said. 'I'm not going to lie — it was a big challenge personally — but it was awesome to have a reference, a new reference, of where I was at and how much I was struggling for different things. 'And we decided that we would do this a bit more frequently. It was very useful for my recovery. It's probably been the most useful therapy I've had, and when I'm talking about therapies, physical therapy, eye coordination, reconnecting the bridges in the brain, things that were not as seamless as they used to be.' Pagenaud is also open to a more formal role with former team Team Penske, where he spent seven seasons and time with their sports car program. Team President Tim Cindric didn't rule out a role within the organization for the driver who contributed one of Roger Penske's record 20 Indy 500 wins. McLaughlin has raved about what Pagenaud has brought him at Indy. 'I'm probably a detriment to my own career throughout the years — I haven't been as intricate with looking at little details, and I think Simon is the professor in that regard,' McLaughlin said. 'He strives for perfection in a lot of ways in how he sets up his car and what he feels. He's probably allowing me to look into more details and just the way I look at myself and the driving, the lines and what I'm doing with weight jacker and bars. It's really helped sort of accelerate my progress here, and really am enjoying working with a friend, as well.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. That knowledge could be welcome inside Team Penske as a whole at some point, Cindric said. 'Simon is always welcome within our team,' Cindric said. 'But Simon has a lot going on on his own, beyond our team. I know Simon has been offered some really good things to do, but there's only so much that Simon really wants to do. 'I think he can be a benefit for anybody around this place. I don't think there's any limit in terms of what he does, but at the same time, he wants to be productive. Just hanging around probably isn't what he wants to do, either. I think we have a pretty good balance, and we're always open to him within our team.' ___ AP auto racing:
