Pagenaud ready for IndyCar finale, says engineer
Ben Bretzman, race engineer for Simon Pagenaud, believes the IndyCar championship leader is ready to defend his points lead from Penske teammate Will Power at this weekend’s season finale at Sonoma.











Following Power's accident with Ganassi's Charlie Kimball at Watkins Glen (resulting in him being classified 20th) and Pagenaud's seventh-place finish, the pair arrive in Northern California 43 points apart.
However, with double points on offer, that means a race victory for Power would still oblige Pagenaud to finish fifth to beat him to the title. Were Power to get maximum points – winning the race, plus a point for pole, a point for leading a lap and two points for leading the most laps – Pagenaud would need to finish fourth to cling on to the points lead.
Power has won the Grand Prix of Sonoma three times, and taken pole there five times in the last six years. By contrast it has been a difficult track for Pagenaud so far. His best qualifying position was fourth in 2015, his best finish third in 2014.
Nonetheless, Pagenaud's 2016 season has been outstanding for his progress on all types of track, with Watkins Glen proving the only track where he has not shone.
Bretzman, who has been Pagenaud's race engineer since 2010 when the Frenchman was racing in the American Le Mans Series, told Motorsport.com: "Watkins Glen was not good for us. Simon wasn't comfortable with the tires in the fast corners and we were getting a lot of chatter. So to come away from there having increased our points lead quite well was a decent result.
"But our test [at Sonoma] was good. And we have slowly been getting faster there over the years. Last year was our first time qualifying in the Firestone Fast Six, and in 2014 we had that podium.
"Will has got to still be considered the benchmark around there, but we were pretty happy with the test; Simon was stringing it all together. And we know what we have to do.
"But Sonoma is tough because the wind changes and affects the handling of the cars so much – and Simon thinks about it too much sometimes! But like I say, the test went well because he just got in and got on with it.
"So we've got the place pretty well figured out now in terms of wind, we have a decent set of notes about what to expect, and we made a big chunk of mechanical changes in the test."
Bretzman said that, like Power, and the Sonoma winner for the past two years, Ganassi's Scott Dixon, the #22 Team Penske had spent some of the test experimenting with the two different front wing configurations – the one from Chevrolet's 2015 aero kit, and this year's updated version.
"We started out using last year's one," he said, "and we went back and forth a couple of times. But eventually I think we've settled on the newer one. It changes some of the characteristics of the car, particularly its stability under braking.
"We ran the old one for GP Indy, but the new one at all the street circuits and Mid-Ohio. It's all about what the driver likes for certain types of corner. And having Simon comfortable with the handling is key to allowing him to show his natural speed.
"I know we can win the championship," he concluded. "We have the ability. It's just getting everything right on the day - across all three days, actually. And then staying out of trouble and staying sharp."

Previous article
Rossi, Chilton in search of traction at Sonoma
Next article
Dixon advises Power and Pagenaud to “go for it” at Sonoma

About this article
Series | IndyCar |
Event | Sonoma |
Location | Sonoma Raceway |
Drivers | Will Power , Simon Pagenaud |
Teams | Team Penske |
Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
Pagenaud ready for IndyCar finale, says engineer
Trending
Opening day of Indy500 testing
Rinus VeeKay crashes during Indy 500 test
IndyCar: Defy Everything
IndyCar: Drivers Test at Texas Motor Speedway
IndyCar: Push-to-Pass test
Is Arrow McLaren SP ready for IndyCar’s title fight?
With Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up, 2021 could be the year Arrow McLaren SP-Chevrolet joins the IndyCar elite, writes David Malsher-Lopez.
Dale Coyne picks the Top 10 drivers in his giant-slaying team
Over 37 seasons, Dale Coyne has run no fewer than 80 Indy car drivers – including himself! Ahead of his first season running Romain Grosjean, we asked Coyne to pick the best 10 drivers ever to compete for him. By David Malsher-Lopez.
Why enigmatic Marco Andretti will be missed
Last Friday, Marco Andretti announced he is withdrawing from fulltime IndyCar racing. David Malsher-Lopez explains how this third-gen racer was a puzzle in the car, but a straight shooter off-track.
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Is the mighty McLaren M16 the greatest ever Indy car?
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indy car game-changer that won three Indy 500s in six years.
How Newgarden delivered his best season, yet still lost
Josef Newgarden was our pick as top IndyCar driver of 2020 but his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield the championship. David Malsher-Lopez explains why.
2020 IndyCar Review and Top 10 drivers of the year
David Malsher-Lopez explains how the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series was unlike any other, and why it featured familiar and unfamiliar faces competing for glory.
How Dixon won his sixth IndyCar title, in his own words
Chip Ganassi Racing’s newly crowned six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon takes us round by round through his remarkable season. David Malsher-Lopez listens.