Although Team Penske endured dispiriting qualifying days at Indy in 2021, Pagenaud said days before the race that he was confident his car in race trim was fast, ‘comfortable’ in traffic and able to run anywhere on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. It was, he said, akin to the 2019 car in which he won the race.
Come race day, he delivered, scything through from 26th to finish third, less than six-tenths behind winner Helio Castroneves his current teammate, and alongside runner-up Alex Palou.
