Sebastien Bourdais pre-race notes Indy 500
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS
NO.18 TEAM SEALMASTER – DALE COYNE RACING WITH VASSER-SULLIVAN HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE
Indianapolis 500 – May 27, 2018
Sebastien Bourdais Summary:
Sebastien Bourdais, No. 18 Team SealMaster – Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan, returns to competitive racing on the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the first time since having a horrific crash last year in qualifying. Bourdais is coming off a fourth place showing at the INDYCAR Grand Prix, his second consecutive top-five finish (fifth at Barber). He is third in the championship standings with 152 points on the strength of a victory at St. Petersburg, the fifth place performance at Barber, the fourth in the INDYCAR Grand Prix and a pair of 13th place showings at Phoenix and Long Beach.
| Career Statistics | |||
| Seasons | 13 | Top-Five | 74 |
| Career Starts | 176 | Top-10 | 106 |
| Wins | 37 | Poles | 34 |
| Podium | 55 | Laps Led | 2,635 |
| 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series Statistics | |||
| Starts | 5 | Top-10 | 3 |
| Wins | 1 | Poles | 1 |
| Podiums | 1 | Laps Led | 104 |
| Top-Five | 3 | ||
| 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series Results | |||
| St. Petersburg S/F | 14/1 | Barber | 3/5 |
| Phoenix | 1/13 | IndyCar GP | 3/4 |
| Long Beach | 9/13 | ||
| Indianapolis 500 Statistics | |||
| Number of Starts | 6 | 2012 Q/S/F | 25/25/20 |
| 2016 Q/S/F | 19/19/9 | 2005 S/F | 15/12 |
| 2015 Q/S/F | 7/7/11 | Best Start | 7th (2015) |
| 2014 Q/S/F | 17/17/7 | Best Finish | 7th (2014) |
| 2013 Q/S/F | 15/15/29 | ||
Fast Facts:
- Bourdais is contesting his 13th Verizon IndyCar Series season, third with Dale Coyne Racing and first with Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan.
- The 2018 Indianapolis 500 will be Bourdais’ 177th Verizon IndyCar Series start, seventh Indianapolis 500 and 36th on an oval.
- In 176 career IndyCar starts, Bourdais has won 37 races (sixth all-time) and captured 34 pole positions (seventh all-time).
- In six previous Indianapolis 500-mile races he has two top-10 finishes with a best showing of seventh in 2014. His best qualifying position is seventh in 2015.
- Bourdais led one lap in the INDYCAR Grand Prix. He is the only driver to have led laps in the first five races of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
- His total of 104 laps led this year is third behind Robert Wickens, 133 and Josef Newgarden, 107.
- Of Bourdais’ 35 career oval starts, 27 have come in the last six years (26 in last five years).
- Bourdais has now made 28 IndyCar oval starts (includes 2005 Indy 500) with a best qualifying effort of first (pole) at Phoenix in 2018. Phoenix was his first pole since Mid-Ohio in 2014 and first on an oval since 2006 when he captured the pole at Milwaukee (previous high was fourth at Fontana in 2013). His best finish is a victory at Milwaukee in 2015. It was his first oval win since 2006 also at Milwaukee.
- Bourdais made seven oval starts in Champ Car earning four victories: Lausitz, 2003; Las Vegas in 2004 and 2005; Milwaukee 2006 and capturing three poles: Lausitz, 2003; Las Vegas 2005 and Milwaukee in 2006.
- Bourdais is an accomplished sports car racer having won the GT Le Mans class in 2017, the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours in the GTE Pro category (from the pole), the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans in 2015 and the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2014 (was runner-up in 2015). He also won the Grand AM Rolex Sports Car event on the Indianapolis road course in 2012.
- Bourdais is the only driver to win four consecutive IndyCar championships (2004 – 2007).
- He competed in 27 Formula One races (2008-2009)
- Bourdais, 39, is a native of Le Mans, France but resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Next Race and Broadcast Times:
Round 6 of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season will be the Indianapolis 500 on May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, IN. The race will be broadcast live on ABC at 11:00 a.m. ET. It is also available on radio: XM 209 and IMS IndyCar Radio as well as online: IndyCar.com and Verizon IndyCar 15 app.
The Indianapolis 500 qualifying will held on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. Qualifications broadcast times are: Saturday May 19: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET on ABC.Sunday May 20: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. on ABC.