Photo by: Shawn Gritzmacher
Team Penske announced today that race-winning driver and perennial championship contender Simon Pagenaud will join its ranks beginning with the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
The 30-year-old Pagenaud is a four-time race winner in the Verizon IndyCar Series and one of the most sought-after talents in open-wheel racing. Under the terms of a multi-year agreement with Team Penske, Pagenaud will drive the Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet beginning next season. With today’s announcement, the most successful program in the history of North American open-wheel racing will field a formidable four-car lineup moving forward.
After finishing among the top five in the championship standings each of the last three seasons, Pagenaud has established himself as one of the top drivers competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series. The native of Poitiers, France earned two wins, one pole, three podium finishes and eight top-five results in 2014 while finishing fifth in the title chase.
“Simon Pagenaud is a very talented, focused and determined driver,” said Roger Penske, whose team won the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series title with driver Will Power. “We know how tough he has been to compete with over the last few seasons and we are very happy to welcome him to Team Penske starting in 2015. With Simon coming on board to join Will, Helio (Castroneves) and Juan (Montoya), we feel we have four drivers very capable of winning on any given weekend and four guys who are legitimate championship contenders.”
A winning history
Pagenaud joins Team Penske with a championship history. He won the Champ Car Atlantic Series open-wheel title as a rookie in 2006 and he produced four wins en route to the American Le Mans Series sports car LMP1 crown in 2010. With a diverse background that includes racing in the European Formula Renault series, Pagenaud has also excelled in sports car competition with starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Rolex 24 at Daytona on his resume.
“Getting a chance to race for Team Penske is almost like a dream to me,” said Pagenaud. “I have always admired the team and everything that Roger Penske has accomplished in racing. I am so excited to become a part of Team Penske and I can’t wait for the 2015 season to start.”
Penske Racing
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Power “didn't have any defense” against Dixon due to tire strategy
IndyCar Long Beach: Rosenqvist gives MSR first-ever series pole
Top 50 racing drivers of 2017: 40-31
Was Long Beach really Scott Dixon’s greatest IndyCar drive yet?
Herta admits he “misjudged” Newgarden IndyCar clash at Long Beach
Why Penske remains ambitious for its WEC learning year
2024 NASCAR All-Star Race format includes different tire compounds
Brake issues hinder Rosenqvist’s chances for victory in Long Beach
Power “didn't have any defense” against Dixon due to tire strategy
Ayrton Senna's personal Honda NSX on sale for £500,000
The apprenticeship that will aid Ilott's IndyCar to WEC switch at Jota
The long evolution of Dallara's Indy 500 winner
Nigel Mansell’s greatest F1 and Indycar drives
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments