Sebastien Bourdais pre-race notes: Detroit
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS
NO. 18 TEAM SEALMASTER – DALE COYNE RACING WITH VASSER-SULLIVAN HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear – June 1-3, 2018
Sebastien Bourdais Summary:
Sebastien Bourdais will pilot the No. 18 Team SealMaster – Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan entry this weekend in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, the only event on the IndyCar schedule to feature two races. Bourdais has enjoyed success on the Belle Isle temporary street circuit capturing one of the twin races his last two visits. Bourdais is coming off an Indy 500 that looked like a possible top-five finish, but ended when he made contact with the turn-four wall. He led four laps, his first in an Indy 500, making him the only driver to lead laps in the first six races of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Bourdais is eighth in the championship standings with 168 points, just 18 points out of fifth. He has three top-five finishes so far this season including a victory at St. Petersburg.
Sebastien Bourdais quotes:
“Roger (Penske) and his staff do a great job putting on the Belle Isle event. The atmosphere, the facility, every year it just gets better and better. The weekend is unique with two races, which is tough on the team, but it’s the same for everyone. Obviously, I have had some success there winning a race the last two times we were there (missed 2017 due to injury), but I haven’t really qualified well. That is something we have to work on because qualifying is so important on that circuit. Unfortunately, Indy didn’t go the way we wanted, but the SealMaster Honda No. 18 team has been pretty strong on the street circuits this year. We just need to keep working hard, keep digging and have two strong performances this weekend if we’re going to get back in the championship race.”
| Career Statistics | |||
| Seasons | 13 | Top-Five | 74 |
| Career Starts | 177 | Top-10 | 106 |
| Wins | 37 | Poles | 34 |
| Podiums | 55 | Laps Led | 2,639 |
| 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series Statistics | |||
| Starts | 6 | Top-10 | 3 |
| Wins | 1 | Poles | 1 |
| Podiums | 1 | Laps Led | 108 |
| Top-Five | 3 | ||
| 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series Results | |||
| St. Petersburg S/F | 14/1 | Barber S/F | 3/5 |
| Phoenix S/F | 1/13 | IndyCar GP S/F | ¾ |
| Long Beach S/F | 9/13 | Indianapolis 500 S/F | 5/28 |
| Detroit Grand Prix Statistics | |||
| Number of Starts | 9 | ||
| 2016 Race 1 Q/S/F | 13/13/1 | 2013 Race 1 Q/S/F | 15/14/24 |
| 2016 Race 2 Q/S/F | 12/12/8 | 2013 Race 2 Q/S/F | 22/22/11 |
| 2015 Race 1 S/F | 6/14 | 2012 Q/S/F | 10/9/24 |
| 2015 Race 2 S/F | 9/1 | Best Start | 6 2015 Race 1 |
| 2014 Race 1 S/F | 7/13 | Best Finish | 1 2016 R1/2015 R2 |
| 2014 Race 2 S/F | 11/20 | ||
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 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will be Bourdais’ 178th Verizon IndyCar Series start and 10th on Detroit’s Belle Isle.
- In 177 career IndyCar starts, Bourdais has won 37 races (sixth all-time) and captured 34 pole positions (seventh all-time).
- In nines previous Detroit GP races he has three top-10 finishes with two wins (2016 Race 1 and 2015 Race 2). He has qualified in the top-10 five times with a best starting position of sixth in 2015.
- Bourdais is the only driver to win four consecutive IndyCar championships (2004 – 2007).
- 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.
- 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 7 and 8 of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series, will be the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, featuring two races, one on Saturday, June 2 and the second on Sunday, June 3 on the Belle Isle temporary street circuit in Detroit, MI. The race will be broadcast live on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET both days. It is also available on radio: XM 209 and IMS IndyCar Radio as well as online: IndyCar.com and Verizon IndyCar 15 app.