Penske “is a real factory team,” says Pagenaud

The Frenchman, who in 2011 finished second in his third year of racing Peugeot 908s at Le Mans, told Motorsport.com: “Penske is a real factory team, similar to Peugeot Sport when I did the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Penske in IndyCar is a bit like Ferrari in F1. The company employs 350 people for its NASCAR and IndyCar programs.

“Penske has 50 years of history and an exceptional record. Roger Penske, the boss, is still a great enthusiast. He knows everything in his team. He demonstrates his leadership by being present at the factory and in the field.

Pagenaud, who scored five wins and seven pole positions on his way to the Verizon IndyCar Series championship last year, said that the close match of teams and drivers is what had made the title special and explains why he was not immediately a winner when he joined Penske in 2015.

"The level of competition has gone up a notch,” he remarked. “Note that there is nobody driving two seconds from pole position. When we look at the times of the starting grid of 24 cars, everyone is in the same second. It's a very tough fight.

"In Formula 1, there is often a gap of five seconds between the first and last. Even at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it is not as tight as in IndyCar. I believe that the level of competitiveness of the IndyCar teams and drivers has progressed considerably.

“We, the pilots, have become specialists in this discipline. The best are truly IndyCar experts, and to beat them, you have to accumulate a few years of experience.

"Apart from my engineer [Ben Bretzman], I did not know anyone when I got to Penske. It took a little time for things to happen. This was done last winter and now we have confidence in our working methodology.

“We have moved on to a higher gear. We understand each other without speaking. I'm driving a good car and I'm in a great team. We have become performers every weekend.”

Pagenaud first moved from Europe to America at the end of 2005, joining Walker Racing’s Atlantic Championship team, winning the 2006 title and thus graduating to the now defunct Champ Car series for 2007. Pagenaud said he believed the transatlantic shift was his best possible move at that stage, and that his latest success endorses that view.

"When I left for the United States, there was an opening that I exploited thoroughly,” he said. “Thanks to that, I am here today, champion of the IndyCar series.

“If I had stayed in Europe, I think I could have done another season of Formula Renault 3.5, or perhaps GP2, but I would not have done it without being in a good team. And who knows? It might not have worked.

“At that time, the doors were closed for French drivers. Red Bull was not involved in France. It was not a good time. With my entourage, I had to find another way which also allowed me to run at Le Mans with Peugeot, which was a fantastic period.

“When I look at it, I do not regret anything. I'm in the team where I wanted to be when I was a kid. Today, I fight for poles and race wins every weekend… Now I'm happy and I don’t want to go anywhere else."