Romain Grosjean, for his second participation, and Simon Pagenaud, in search of a new crown four years after the first, will start in 19th and 22nd positions respectively, Sunday at the 500 Miles of Indianapolis, with the hope of playing the spoilsport.
Qualifying practice, a week ago, did not allow the two Frenchmen to really shine, the Spaniard Alex Palou, current leader in the general standings, having arrogated to himself the first role, since he signed the fastest pole in the history of the legendary race.
Nevertheless, nothing is ever decided in advance on the oval where 200 laps will have to be swallowed in just under three hours. A show, with optional decibels and kerosene fumes, which will attract some 300,000 spectators around the Speedway, a pre-pandemic crowd that the organizers announce will be one of the strongest in the past 25 years.
Proof of this is, Pagenaud, who started from 26th place in 2021, had finished on the podium (3rd). And, over the last 13 editions, he is the only “poleman” to have kept the controls until the end to triumph in 2019.
Hence the confidence displayed last weekend by the 39-year-old driver despite unsatisfactory qualifying, at the wheel of his Meyer Shank Racing.
A 22nd fastest time, “it’s not a disaster but it’s not pole either, so there’s a lot of work to do. In the race version, I felt very comfortable. I’m confident in our ability to move forward,” said Pagenaud, who has finished in the top 8 in four of the last five editions.
Grosjean (Andretti), who had not finished the race won by Swede Marcus Ericsson last year, victim of a slight accident, had to settle for 19th time, which places him one line ahead of his compatriot.
“We didn’t have the performance. We weren’t accelerating enough in a straight line and we couldn’t do anything. I knew that our position would be around 15th-20th place,” he reacted last Saturday.
But the former F1 driver, still looking for a first victory in IndyCar, said he was satisfied with the final tests on Friday, the 8th time established reflecting successful settings for improved performance over 90 minutes.
“I’m very happy with what we’ve done with the race car. We tried everything we wanted – some good things came out of it, some not”, commented, optimistic, Grosjean, fourth in the championship after finishing 2nd in particular at the Grands Prix of Long Beach and Alabama and who approaches the test without pressure, believing that “there are stronger cars”.
Among these, we must first mention Alex Palou’s Chip Ganassi, which flew through qualifying with the fastest average speed in history (234.217 mph, or 376.8552 km/h) and is obviously dreaming of a consecration after his second place last year.
The first Spaniard in history to take pole, the 26-year-old driver, IndyCar champion in 2021, will inevitably be the favorite of this 107th edition, the green flag of which will be waved by actor Adam Driver, who grew up in the ‘Indiana and who has just played Enzo Ferrari in a film directed by Michael Mann, to be released soon.
On the same line in his mirrors will start the Dutchman Rinus VeeKay (Ed Carpenter Racing) and the Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Arrow McLaren). But the competition will be tough as always with experienced men always quick to make it talk, such as New Zealander Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing), Takuma Sato (Chip Ganassi Racing) or Tony Kanaan (Arrow McLaren) , all in their forties but far from being overwhelmed.
