Sébastien Bourdais began his IndyCar Series season in the best possible way with victory in the opening round at St. Petersburg, Florida, the Frenchman’s adopted hometown. He ran a superb race combining strategy, tyre and fuel economy, and perfectly controlled performance. “I set off from fourteenth on the grid, but my plans were soon upset when my teammate clipped my rear tyre on turn two. I found myself at the back of the field after the pit stop and so had to revise my entire strategy. The first yellow flag brought me back into touch with the pack. But then team boss Dale Coyne decided to run a two-stop race. At one point, they wondered if we shouldn’t switch to three, but Dale put his foot down and said we had to stick with the two-step plan, even if it wasn’t working! I saved a little fuel and was all set to finish third, which was something of a miracle as I didn’t have the best of cars. After the final restart, Alexander Rossi collided with Robert Wickens. I saw that and couldn’t believe my eyes. I managed to slip through and grab first place.”

The triumph held special significance for Bourdais. “It’s fantastic as it was not only a superb win but an unexpected one too. It was our first race with Jimmy Vasser and James Sullivan [now partners of the Dale Coyne Racing team] and all our sponsors were there. It’s also my first win since my accident in Indy 500 qualifying last May. A lot of things went through my mind during my cool-down lap. It was a really emotional moment.”

The Le Mans native has barely had time to gather his thoughts since the race, as he went straight into testing at the Texas Motor Speedway oval ahead of this year’s Indianapolis 500. After that, as soon as he then stepped off the ’plane that brought him back from Texas, he got into his Ford GT for night-time practice for the 12 Hours of Sebring. “I tried to get into a night race rhythm and it wasn’t easy. We had trouble with the tyres as Michelin has changed the compounds. And, for me, it’s easier to switch from the Ford to IndyCar because you have to attack harder! Switching from the single-seater to GT takes a little bit more time.” 

The 12 Hours of Sebring did not run so smoothly for Bourdais and his teammates, Joey Hand and Dirk Müller. The trio had to retire following a minor collision, and then a flat tyre. Finally, battery trouble brought the car to a halt on the edge of the track. “It was a tough race but we kind of expected it. The BMW M8s [that will be making their 24 Hours of Le Mans début this year] went really well and the Porsche 911 RSRs ran better with the cooler temperatures. Barring an incident, we knew that it would be complicated to win here.”

Bourdais will now focus on the IndyCar Series with his sights set on the Indianapolis 500, before returning to France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Last year, he had to pull out of the race due to the injuries sustained in the accident. “I stayed in touch with the team and the boys before and during the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, calling them nearly every day. I watched the race on TV up to a certain point.”

The trio of Bourdais, Müller and Hand, who topped the LMGTE Pro podium at Le Mans in 2016, will be back in the #68 Ford GT of Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA in June. It will be Bourdais’ twelfth appearance in his home race where he has already finished second overall in 2007, 2009 and 2011 – each time at the wheel of a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. “The LMGTE Pro grid is simply magnificent, and the spectators are going to enjoy a thrilling race as the cars’ performance levels are still relatively close.” 

Photos (ACO/MPS Agency/Pascal Saivet/David Bristol): LMGTE Pro victory at Le Mans in 2016 (left), unexpected success at the 2018 IndyCar season opener (centre), the #66 Ford GT at the 12 Hours of Sebring (right).