With an exhaustive message published on his official pages on the web, Simon Pagenaud wanted to clarify his state of health, explaining that for the moment he is not yet sure when he will return to racing.
The 39-year-old Frenchman had a very bad accident in July last year during the IndyCar Series tests at Mid-Ohio and since then he has been following an intense rehabilitation program, but without wanting to rush.
This has meant that the Meyer Shank Racing representative is still stuck, so to speak, in the pits, skipping for example the 24h of Daytona, an IMSA race that he has usually always done (and even won), while as regards the American single-seaters, the team has precautionally looked around to find replacements, with Tom Blomqvist the only starter to date.
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing Honda
“2023 has not been an easy year for me, as many of you will know. My racing was interrupted on July 1st when I had a serious accident during practice at Mid-Ohio,” explains Pagenaud, underlining that he has not yet Its return to activity is planned and certain.
“My car suffered a brake failure that caused me to go off the track in several high-speed rollovers at nearly 180 mph. The IndyCar safety team did an amazing job getting me out of the car and taking care of me in the first hours after impact, and I will be forever grateful to them.”
“Due to the accident, I could not continue my season and therefore only competed in eight races in 2023. Since then, I have focused on recovering my health to 100%. For this, I have worked closely with an excellent team of doctors and I made progress every day.”
“I still don't know if I'll be back behind the wheel in 2024 or if I'm ready to do so. I want to take things slowly to make sure that when I get back I'll be at my best again.”
“For now, I want to thank everyone who has sent me messages of support and, of course, a big thank you to my family, friends and team who have been there for me 24/7.”
“As I take care of my next steps, I also want to take this opportunity to look back on my career and reminisce with you about past successes and special moments. But make no mistake: this is not the end, because better times lie ahead! Happy 2024 to everyone!”
#Pagenaud #don39t #I39ll #run
