Pagenaud: “In racing mode, we are among the best” at Indy

What feeling do you have after these qualifications?

We suffered from oversteer and simply lacked speed. In the draw, we also had no luck, since we drew number 27, which sent us onto the track at 13 p.m., when it is the hottest. But we have no excuse since Marco Andretti passed right behind us and had the best time.

How do you experience Honda's superiority?

At Penske, Newgarden squeezed the most out of the car. But Honda did a very good job and you have to know how to be a good sport. The fact remains that being better in pure performance does not mean that you will be better in racing.

Silky smooth Simon.@SimonPagenaud's looking to defend his # Indy500 win August 23 at @IMS on @NBC. Practice Day 2 is underway @NBCSportsGold: https://t.co/PqVUeFG0VO pic.twitter.com/sPo7sjRST4

— Indy 500 on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) August 13

Starting behind at the Indy 500 is not prohibitive…

Absolutely. We saw it with Alexander Red last year (started 9th and arrived in the exhausts of Pagenaud. Editor's note) or Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015 (last after a few rounds before winning. Editor's note). The important thing is to have a good racing car, and that is the case for me. Thursday, I found my car from last year despite the Aeroscreen.

In traffic, I overtook with ease. In the racing version, we are among the best with Helio. Conor Daly (powered by Chevrolet. Editor's note) was also very strong in traffic, so at lower turbo pressure than in qualifying, I feel we are a little more efficient than the Hondas.

How much of a game changer has the Aeroscreen been?

This extra weight and higher than usual track temperatures add pressure to the tire. But in terms of behavior, the gap is not huge. The big difference comes from the heat and the additional power (45 hp. Editor's note) which we benefited from during qualifying and which contributed to more pronounced degradation of the tires.

And although it should still be a little warmer than last year on race day, there won't be as much of a difference as this week.

After these difficult qualifications, how will Team Penske work?

All we can do is stick together, work together, as we already did with Helio during the tests, but also with Josef and Will. And Penske is the kind of team that knows how to come out of difficult times to shine better.

Does starting off as the outgoing winner mean anything?

It is an honor. And then, this victory takes a weight off my shoulders. That feeling of knowing if you're going to win this race one day puts a lot of pressure on you. Now I can focus on what matters most: performance.

Twinning! #IndyCar # indy500 @BorgTrophy pic.twitter.com/oWIb3jCJZO

— Simon Pagenaud (@simonpagenaud) August 20

Since your victory, do you feel that you are more frightening?

I hope they fear me. This season, by winning at Iowa (July 18, Editor's note) after starting last, everyone realized that we were comfortable on ovals.

What does being behind closed doors change for you?

It will feel like a test session. It's going to be a special edition, we'll have to find energy elsewhere. But it remains the greatest race in the world.