Team Penske | Drivers | Simon Pagenaud

Birth Date: May 18, 1984
Height: 5'10"
Birth Place: Montmorillon, France
Weight: 168 lbs.
Residence: Charlotte, NC
Twitter: @SimonPagenaud
Facebook: @SimonPagenaud
Instagram: @SimonPagenaud
Car: Dallara/Chevrolet
Race Engineer: Ben Bretzman
Primary Sponsor: Menards

Biography

In his seventh season racing for Team Penske, Simon Pagenaud and the No. 22 Menards Dallara/Chevrolet team look to return to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES mountaintop in 2021. Pagenaud, a former series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, recorded a win at Iowa and three podium finishes in 2020 and the team is aiming even higher this season.

Over the course of his 10 INDYCAR SERIES seasons, Pagenaud has scored 15 career wins, 14 pole positions, 35 podium finishes and the 2016 series championship. He continues to be one of the most consistent and productive drivers competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Racing through the challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic and a different car design featuring the new aeroscreen in 2020, Pagenaud turned a strong start to the season into an eighth-place finish in the final series standings.

After posting consecutive podium finishes at Texas Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to open the delayed 2020 season, Pagenaud scored his 11th win with Team Penske by driving to victory in the first race of a doubleheader weekend at Iowa Speedway last season, leading 83 laps along the way. Returning behind the wheel of the Menards Chevrolet, Pagenaud looks to guide the No. 22 team to another Indianapolis 500 victory and series title in 2021.

Pagenaud enjoyed one of his best seasons in racing in 2019. The native of Montmorillon, France drove his way into the history books by capturing his first Indianapolis 500 win – the first Frenchman to win the legendary race in 99 years. The dramatic triumph in the No. 22 Menards Chevrolet marked Team Penske’s record 18th Indianapolis 500 victory, and it gave Pagenaud a true sweep through the month of May following his win in the INDYCAR Grand Prix and the pole position for the Indianapolis 500. A final victory on the streets of Toronto, four podiums and three poles resulted in the series runner up position behind teammate and champ Josef Newgarden. It marked the third time in four seasons that Pagenaud finished among the top two drivers in the championship standings, including his title-winning season of 2016.

Biography

Before becoming a champion in America, Pagenaud competed in Europe’s Formula Renault for several years before moving to the United States in 2006 to compete in the Champ Car Atlantic Series with Walker Racing and Team Australia. In his rookie season of Champ Car Atlantic, Pagenaud captured the series title over current NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Graham Rahal. Pagenaud applied the prize money won from that season towards a 2007 Champ Car World Series opportunity with Walker Racing and Team Australia, where he was a teammate to current Team Penske driver Will Power. Pagenaud finished eighth in the 2007 Champ Car World Series standings.

He shifted gears to sports car racing in 2008 and posted 10 wins over six seasons, winning the 2010 American Le Mans Series title. Pagenaud returned to INDYCAR in 2012 and produced four victories for Sam Schmidt’s team while finishing in the top five in the championship standings for three consecutive seasons. The consistently impressive performances attracted the attention of Team Penske and the organization expanded to include Pagenaud with the newly formed No. 22 Chevrolet team in 2015. Though he showed consistent speed in his first season with the team, Pagenaud caught some tough breaks but still earned a pair of podium results and pole position.

His second season with Team Penske proved magical for Pagenaud as he was crowned 2016 INDYCAR SERIES Champion after leading the series in just about every key statistical category including wins, poles, podiums and laps led. The Frenchman’s first INDYCAR title represented the 14th open-wheel racing crown for Team Penske, coming in the organization’s landmark 50th season of racing. He produced five wins and seven pole awards in 2016, edging teammate Will Power for the title when Pagenaud won the series finale at Sonoma Raceway in convincing fashion. The championship run led a Team Penske 1-2-3 finish in the season standings.

Pagenaud followed up his title-winning 2016 season with a run at back-to-back championships before falling just 13 points shy of teammate Newgarden to finish as series runner up in 2017. Driving the champion’s No. 1 car in 2017, Pagenaud garnered his first career oval win at Phoenix Raceway and he captured a second straight season-ending triumph at Sonoma Raceway. He led the series with 13 top-five finishes and became just the second driver in series history to complete every lap of competition.

In 2018, Pagenaud earned 14 top-10 finishes, highlighted by runner-up results at Texas and Toronto. After a tough start to the season as he adapted to the new universal aero kit car, he rallied to finish sixth in the championship standings.

Pagenaud’s favorite activities away from the track include cycling, surfing and skiing. He makes his home in the Charlotte, North Carolina area with his wife Hailey and their dog Norman.

Pagenaud Key Accomplishments

2019 Indianapolis 500 champion
Won the 2016 INDYCAR SERIES Championship
15-time INDYCAR SERIES race winner entering 2021
Captured 14 INDYCAR SERIES poles entering 2021 season
Named INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year in 2012
Crowned 2010 American Le Mans Series LMP champion
Earned Champ Car Atlantic Series title in rookie season of 2006

Career Highlights

2020 - Records one victory to go along with three podium finishes and seven top-10 results. Finishes eighth in final NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings. Posts podium results at Texas and the Indianapolis GP to start the season. Secures first career victory at Iowa Speedway in the opening race of the Iowa INDYCAR 250s doubleheader weekend, leading 83 laps along the way.

2019 - Finishes second in the IndyCar Series championship after one of the best seasons of his career. Wins the 2019 Indianapolis 500 for Team Penske's record 18th victory in the legendary race. Also captures Team Penske's 18th Indy 500 pole position. Posts victories in INDYCAR Grand Prix and Toronto and wins the pole at Toronto and Iowa. Records four podium finishes to go along with seven top-five and 15 top-10 results.

2018 - Completes fourth season racing for Team Penske in the NTT IndyCar Series. Earns two podium finishes with runner-up results on the Texas oval and on the streets of Toronto. Posts four top-five and 14 top-10 results on the year. Finishes the season ranked sixth in the series championship standings.

2017 - Defends the NTT IndyCar Series championship until the very end to attempt to repeat as champion. Has two wins - Phoenix and the season finale at Sonoma - six podium finishes and one Verizon P1 Award in 2017 before finishing second to teammate Josef Newgarden for the championship. Title defense started off strong, finishing the first five races in the top five at each, including winning in Phoenix. In 17 races on the season, finishes outside the top-ten twice. Battles to the very last lap, winning the season finale at Sonoma Raceway and completes all 2,331 laps.

2016 - Claims his first NTT IndyCar Series championship on the power of five race wins and seven Verizon P1 Pole Awards in leading Team Penske to a 1-2-3 finish in the final standings. Opens the season with a pair of runner-up finishes, then three consecutive wins for early lead in the point standings. Closes with two victories in the final five events including in the season finale at Sonoma to secure the season title while recording career bests in practically every category. In addition to leading in wins and poles, paced the series in podium finishes (8), top-five finishes (10) and laps led (406). Was his fourth top-five finish in points in the last five seasons.

2015 - Scores his first Verizon P1 Pole Award with the team – and his first on an oval – at the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway in June. He also captures a front row starting position (third) for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May (finishing tenth), along with five other front row starting spots throughout the year. The 132 laps led during the season was more than double his previous career high. Finishes the year with four top-five finishes and nine top-10 results, including podium finishes at Belle Isle and Mid-Ohio.

2014 - Finishes inside the top five in the NTT IndyCar Series championship standings for the third consecutive season. Posts two wins, eight top-five finishes and one Verizon P1 Pole Award. Wins the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Competes in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

2013 - Scores first career NTT IndyCar Series win in the second race of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans at Belle Isle Park in Detroit. Finishes third in the championship standings with two wins and five top-five finishes. Finishes ninth in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Wins P2 class in American Le Mans Series race at Road America after opening the season with a second-place finish in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

2012 - Races first full season in the NTT IndyCar Series since 2007. Scores six top-five finishes and nine top-10 results to finish fifth in the championship standings. Starts first and finished second in the P1 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Makes two starts in the Australia V8 Supercar Series at the Surfers Paradise circuit.

2011 - Makes three NTT IndyCar Series starts with one top-10 finish. Finishes second overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Starts both Australian V8 Supercar Series races at Surfers Paradise, scoring one top-five finish and two top-10 results. Starts on the pole position for the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta before suffering a mechanical issue to finish 11th.

2010 - Competes in final full season in the American Le Mans Series. Teams with David Brabham at Highcroft Racing to capture the series championship on the strength of four wins and nine podium finishes in nine starts.

2009 - Records five wins, eight podium finishes and seven pole positions in 10 starts in the American Le Mans Series.

2008 - Competes in eight of 11 races on the American Le Mans Series schedule for de Ferran Motorsports, owned by former Team Penske driver and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner, Gil de Ferran. Finishes inside the top-10 in every start with two pole positions.

2007 - Races his first season of NTT IndyCar Series competition. Only qualifies outside of the top-10 on one occasion. Finishes the season with six top-five finishes and 10 top-ten finishes. Races alongside current Team Penske teammate, Will Power, with Team Australia.

2006 - Wins the Champ Car Atlantic Series championship. Applies the winnings from his championship toward a ride with Walker Racing/Team Australia in Champ Car World Series.

2002 - 2005 - Competes in Formula Renault, Formula Renault Eurocup and Formula Renault 3.5 competition.

2020 NTT IndyCar Series Season Statistics

Date	Event	Start	Finish	Points (Behind)	Rank (+/-)
6/6/20	Genesys 300	3	2	40 (-13)	2 (--)
7/4/20	GMR Grand Prix - RESCHEDULED	20	3	75 (-29)	2 (--)
7/11/20	REV Group Grand Prix Race 1 - RESCHEDULED	17	12	93 (-62)	2 (--)
7/12/20	REV Group Grand Prix Race 2 - RESCHEDULED	22	13	110 (-63)	3 (-1)
7/17/20	Iowa 300 - Race 1 - RESCHEDULED	23	1	163 (-50)	2 (+1)
7/18/20	Iowa 300 - Race 2 - RESCHEDULED	23	4	195 (-49)	2 (--)
8/23/20	104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - RESCHEDULED	25	22	212 (-123)	5 (-3)
8/29/20	Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - RACE 1 - RESCHEDULED	13	19	223 (-163)	6 (-1)
8/30/20	Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - RACE 2 - RESCHEDULED	8	16	237 (-179)	6 (--)
9/12/20	Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio - RACE 1 - RESCHEDULED	10	18	249 (-187)	8 (-2)
9/13/20	Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio - RACE 2 - RESCHEDULED	6	6	277 (-179)	8 (--)
10/2/20	INDYCAR Harvest GP - RACE 1 - RESCHEDULED	22	16	291 (-187)	8 (--)
10/3/20	INDYCAR Harvest GP - RACE 2 - RESCHEDULED	19	10	311 (-191)	8 (--)
10/25/20	Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - RESCHEDULED	12	6	339 (-198)	8 (--)