For the first time in his career, French driver Simon Pagenaud triumphed at the legendary Indianapolis 500, almost a century after Gaston Chevrolet, his fellow countryman, won the race in 1920. This famous American race, considered by many to be the greatest automobile competition in the world, now demonstrates Simon's greatness more than ever. Richard Mille shares this historic victory with "the most American of the French". After earning the pole position the week before, Simon remained in the lead in the 103rd edition of the Indianapolis 500 ahead of Ed Carpenter and Will Power, winner in 2018. There were numerous twists and turns, with overtaking at almost 350 km/h, crashes and mechanical problems. In front of the 400,000 spectators present on Sunday 26 May, Simon showed incredible regularity, staying in the lead for most of the race. The race took a turn on lap 178, when former Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi took first place ahead of Simon. At the same time, several cars hit the wall in turn 3 and the red flag flew in the air until lap 187. With determination, Pagenaud immediately put pressure on Rossi to retake the lead of the race already in the first corner, from the outside, as the latter passed him on the next lap. Two laps later, Simon regained the first place until lap 197, giving up a few moments later under the infernal pressure of Alexander Rossi. Pagenaud did not accept this snub and overtook him again on the third lap, just two laps from the end. A well-deserved reward after a breathtaking 3-hour race. "This is a childhood dream come true, the goal of a lifetime. It is difficult to realise what has just happened. I had a fantastic car and I really managed to keep control during the whole race. It's incredible to see how the planets can align all of a sudden. This day will remain etched in my memory forever,' said Simon upon his arrival, before taking the famous milk shower due to the winner. Simon Pagenaud, 35, gets his first Indianapolis 500 victory, three years after being crowned Indycar champion with the Penske team, which has always supported him, and is recognised as an institution in the discipline. Like Will Power last year, he scored a double: Indianapolis 500/Indianapolis Grand Prix and now sits atop the provisional 2019 Indycar championship standings.
