Gil de Ferran was a champion IndyCar racer, winning titles in 2000 and 2001. He died last December at 56 after a heart attack during a driving event in Miami.
Simon Pagenaud, also a champion IndyCar racer, took a break from racing since a scary crash last July. He was practicing at Mid-Ohio when his car’s brakes failed, causing him to crash at 180mph.
Pagenaud, 40, has been focusing on regaining his health. He hasn’t been in a race car since the accident. He sees Gil de Ferran as a mentor, someone he deeply respects. They worked together when Pagenaud drove for de Ferran’s Acura sportscar team in the American Le Mans Series.
In Pagenaud’s words, de Ferran was not just a mentor but also like a father figure to him. Pagenaud shared a close bond with Gil, his wife Angela, and their children Anna and Luke. They spent many hours together, especially discussing the nuances of racing at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
When Angela, Luke, and Anna asked Pagenaud to drive Gil’s car in tribute, he was deeply moved. He feels grateful for the opportunity to honor Gil’s memory on such an important racing day.
Pagenaud himself has competed in the Indianapolis 500 twelve times, winning it in 2019 from pole position.
De Ferran’s 2003 G-Force chassis, now under Penske Restoration’s care, will be driven by Pagenaud for a parade lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of the IMS Museum’s 500 Historic Car Lap. This will happen at 10:40 am ET on race day morning.
During the tribute lap, Pagenaud will wear a specially designed helmet to honor his late friend. He plans to share details about the helmet on his social media accounts before Sunday’s tribute.
