Simon Pagenaud Q&A
How excited are you to secure this drive with de Ferran Motorsports?
“I am really delighted to get this opportunity; it is not every day that a two-time CART Champion and Indy 500 winner calls and says he wants you to be his co-driver. At this stage of my career, it is an outstanding chance and I can’t wait for the first race.
“I am so proud to be part of the Acura family now. At 23, I am the youngest driver on the Acura American Le Mans Series roster so this is an excellent opportunity for me. I have been looking forward to a chance like this for a long time and being part of a manufacturer programme is just outstanding. Looking ahead the future looks very bright but it will be up to me to do a very good job and repay the faith that Gil and Acura have shown in me.”
Have you any previous experience in sportscars?
“I did some testing for Creation Sport in Europe with their LMP1 car at the beginning of February this year. It was a really interesting experience because the driver has to be a lot more involved with the team and you have to share more – especially amongst your co-drivers. I think I am mature enough now and I am looking forward to working closely with Gil and the whole team.
“I think it is going to be important for Gil and me to get used to the car and develop a set-up that suits us both. We are going to have to try to not be too selfish; it is not just about our own individual performance - it is what we achieve together. It will be vital to develop a good consistent race car; this is more important than just the qualifying pace.”
What will be some of the key things you will have to learn as a sportscar driver?
“There will be lots of new things – not least traffic with the four different classes - that I will have to get used to.
But the most important thing for us will be patience. We don’t want to throw a race away because we are trying to dangerously sneak past a GT2 car. Traffic is also a very important factor, but it is also very exciting as well – it is something I am looking forward to. This may be a new team, but there is great depth of experience amongst our guys.”
Have you had a chance to take a look at any American Le Mans Series races this year? “I went to Sebring and took a close look at what was going on – all the passing, the pits-stops, it was really interesting.
There were lots of safety car periods as well, but I became used to that last year in Champ Car. Overall, I don’t think I am going to find it too new for me and I can’t wait to get out there.”
The American Le Mans Series has evolved from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as a Frenchman how much would you like to do that race in the future?
“Definitely, as a Frenchman that is certainly the race I want to win one day. Our aim at the moment is the American Le Mans Series, but it would be great if Acura decided to tackle the Le Mans 24 Hour in future years. If they told me they were going to do it, I would be the happiest guy in the world but at the moment, I am going to concentrate on our existing goals here in the US. I have been based here in the US for the past three years, and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for me at de Ferran Motorsports.”
What is it like to play a part in the building of an entirely new race team?
“I am really happy to join the team; I think it is going to be a fantastic combination with Gil. He is the type of person who doesn’t do anything at less than 100 per cent so I think it is going to great. We have a lot of excellent guys on the team including a few people I know from various Champ Car teams. I have seen the shop with absolutely nothing inside and now we have a complete race team ready to roll so it is a very exciting time to be a part of this project.
It is great to start from basically nothing and I am looking forward to playing a part in that building process which I know will lead to on-track success. As a young driver I feel I have the chance to really grow and mature with this team.”
Not only will it be a new car and new style of racing, what will it be like learning some new tracks including Miller Motorsports Park?
“For me, there will be a few new race tracks to learn, but I am really looking forward to that – especially our first race at Salt Lake City. I have experience at places like Road America and Laguna Seca but I am very excited about the schedule. It is a great mixture of different types of tracks.”
