Simon Pagenaud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Simon Pagenaud |
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Simon Pagenaud during the Indycar Long Beach Grand Prix 2021
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| Nationality |  French |
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| Born | 18 May 1984 Montmorillon, France |
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| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 193 races run over 13 years | |||||||
| 2023 position | 28th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2016) | ||||||
| First race | 2011 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (Barber) | ||||||
| Last race | 2023 Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America (Elkhart Lake) | ||||||
| First win | 2013 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, Race 2 (Belle Isle) | ||||||
| Last win | 2020 Iowa IndyCar 250s, Race 1 (Iowa) | ||||||
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| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 14 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| Years active | 2007 | ||||||
| Team(s) | Team Australia | ||||||
| Best finish | 8th (2007) | ||||||
| First race | 2007 Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas) | ||||||
| Last race | Mexico City) | ||||||
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| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |||||||
| Years | 2008–2011 | ||||||
| Teams | Team Oreca-Matmut, Pescarolo Sport, Peugeot Sport | ||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (2011) | ||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
| 2014–2015 2010–2011 2009–2011 2008–2011 2007 2006 2005 2002, 2004 2002–2003 |
United SportsCar Championship Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Le Mans Series American Le Mans Series Champ Car Atlantic Championship Formula Renault 3.5 Series Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup French Formula Renault |
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| Championship titles | |||||||
| 2016 2010 2006 |
IndyCar Series American Le Mans Series (LMP1) Atlantic Championship |
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| Awards | |||||||
| 2012 | IndyCar Rookie of the Year | ||||||
Simon Pierre Michel Pagenaud (born 18 May 1984) is a French former professional race car driver. He last drove the No. 60 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing in the IndyCar Series. Simon had a great career in sports car racing. He won the top championship in the 2010 American Le Mans Series. Later, he moved to the IndyCar Series. There, he became the 2016 IndyCar champion. He also won the famous 2019 Indianapolis 500 race. He was the first French-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since 1920. He was also the first driver to win from pole position since 2009.
Simon Pagenaud also won the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona and 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. He won both races with Meyer Shank Racing.
Contents
Simon's Early Life
Simon Pagenaud was born in Montmorillon, France. When he was 14, he started working in his family's supermarket. He even managed the video game section! After business school, he went back to the supermarket. His family later started a driving school. This school helped Simon get the money he needed to begin his racing career.
Simon's Racing Journey
Starting in Formula Racing
Simon began racing in 2002 and 2003 in French Formula Renault races. He also competed in the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2002 and 2004. In 2005, he moved up to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series.
Winning in America
In 2006, Simon came to the United States. He won the Champ Car Atlantic series in his first year. He won by just a few points over another driver, Graham Rahal. This championship win gave Simon US$2 million. He used this money to race in Champ Car in 2007. He joined Team Australia and finished 8th overall. He had three 4th-place finishes in a row in Canada.
Moving to Sports Car Racing
After the Champ Car series ended, Simon switched to sports car racing in 2008. He joined De Ferran Motorsports in the American Le Mans Series. He drove an Acura ARX-01b LMP2 car with former champion Gil de Ferran.
Success in 2009
In 2009, Simon and his team did very well. They finished second overall in the American Le Mans Series LMP1 class. They won three races out of ten and earned three pole positions. Simon also raced in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He drove for the Pescarolo Sport team.
Racing for Peugeot in 2010
For the 2010 ALMS season, Simon joined the Patrón Highcroft racing team. He raced with David Brabham. They led the LMP1 class with three wins early in the season. Simon also got to drive for the Peugeot factory team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He raced the Peugeot FAP 908 No. 3 car.
The No. 3 Peugeot started from pole position. But it had to stop early because of a problem with the car's suspension. Audi won the race that year. Simon also competed against his Highcroft Racing team at Le Mans.
IndyCar Series Years
First IndyCar Wins
In 2014, Simon won the first-ever Grand Prix of Indianapolis race. His father was there to watch him race at that track for the first time.
Joining Team Penske in 2015
In 2015, Simon moved to Team Penske, a very famous racing team. He almost won the 2015 Indianapolis 500. He was leading with less than 30 laps to go. He battled with Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan. Simon finished 10th, and his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya won. Simon did not win any races in 2015. But he signed a new deal with Team Penske for 2016.
Becoming IndyCar Champion in 2016
Simon had an amazing start to his IndyCar career in 2016. He finished on the podium (top three) in his first five races. He won three races in a row! As the season went on, Simon and his teammate Will Power were the main drivers fighting for the championship. Simon had a strong finish to the season. He won his first IndyCar Series championship. This was a special win for Team Penske in their 50th year of racing. He ended the season with five wins and eight podium finishes.
More Wins and Close Calls (2017–2019)
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Simon did not win any races in 2018. But in 2019, he won the Grand Prix of Indianapolis again. He also won the 2019 Indianapolis 500 from pole position. This meant he started first and won the race. He was the first Frenchman to win the Indy 500 in 99 years! Simon took the championship lead from his teammate Josef Newgarden. However, Newgarden took the lead back one race later. Simon also won pole position and the race at the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto. He finished the 2019 season in second place overall.
A Challenging 2020 Season
In 2020, Simon finished 2nd in the first race of the season. He also finished 3rd at the IndyGP after starting in 20th place. At the Iowa IndyCar 250 race, Simon started last due to a fuel pump problem. But he drove amazingly and took the lead by lap 178. He held on to win the race. This was his last win in the IndyCar Series.
Difficulties in 2021
The 2021 season was tough for Simon and Team Penske. The team only won three races, and Simon did not win any. His best results were two third-place finishes. One was at St. Petersburg and the other at the 2021 Indianapolis 500. He often had bad luck or problems with his teammates during races. He finished 8th in the standings for the second year in a row. By the end of the season, it was reported that Simon would leave Team Penske.
New Team, New Challenges in 2022
After 2021, Simon left Penske and joined Meyer Shank Racing. He raced alongside his former teammate, Hélio Castroneves. Simon had a good start to 2022, finishing 2nd at the Indy GP. But as the season went on, his team struggled. He finished 15th in the points standings.
Injury and Retirement in 2023
In 2023, Simon returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He raced in the LMP2 class for Cool Racing. This was his first time back at Le Mans since 2011. In 2011, he finished second overall.
During practice for a race in Mid-Ohio, Simon had a bad crash. His car flipped over many times. Simon said that IndyCar's aeroscreen (a safety device) saved his life. Because of his injuries, Simon could not race for the rest of the season. Other drivers filled in for him. Simon was later replaced at Meyer Shank Racing for the 2024 season. He did not return to IndyCar racing because his injuries were still causing problems.
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See also
In Spanish: Simon Pagenaud para niños
