"I couldn't slow down": When Simon Pagenaud had a Michael Andretti-like violent IndyCar crash at Mid-Ohio, ending his career

Simon Pagenaud had a violent crash at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during the 2023 IndyCar race weekend. The brakes on his No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing car failed on the back straightaway in a practice session. The 180 mph-going car went airborne in Turn 4 and flipped seven times before coming to a rest upside down against the tire barriers.

The aeroscreen safety feature on the car saved his life. His barrel-roll crash mirrored that of Michael Andretti's at the same corner during the 1998 CART race. After the session, Pagenaud spoke about the freaky crash, saying (via ESPN):

"It was a hell of a ride, that's for sure. We had something go wrong, and I couldn't slow down. I tried to make the corner anyways. I know that gravel is deadly. Michael Andretti has done it, so I guess I joined another legend, so that's cool."

The 2016 IndyCar champion explained what went wrong, adding:

"I was just trying to bail out. It's downhill, which is nuts. The car took off, I hit the gravel, and it just rolled. I'm just glad I didn't go over the tire wall. So glad that we have the Aeroscreen - so thankful that the IndyCar has the Aeroscreen."

The major difference in Simon Pagenaud and Michael Andretti's crashes was that the latter's accident was caused when he was attempting an overtake in the race. The right rear of his car made contact with a rival's front left, which spun him facing the wrong way and eventually into the gravel.

Fortunately for Pagenaud, the AMR Safety team helped him out of the car. He was able to walk away from the scene of the crash, but had sustained internal damage that troubled him in the months to come.

"Frustrating injuries" from the Mid-Ohio crash ended Simon Pagenaud's IndyCar career

Despite the nature of his crash at Mid-Ohio, Simon Pagenaud felt well enough to race that weekend. However, IndyCar's medical team didn't clear him for the same. Unfortunately for the French driver, his symptoms from the crash-induced internal injuries worsened in the weeks to come.

He could not participate in any race that year. Six months on from the crash, Pagenaud gave an update on his health.

"I'm making major progress, but unfortunately, the injuries don't show on the outside. I actually feel really great, physically, but it's on the inside, so those are the frustrating injuries, because you don't get to see them heal. Time makes a difference, so I'm having to be very patient and do a lot of rehab. I'm getting stronger every day with that," the former Team Penske driver said via his website.

2023 had proved to be a tough season for Simon Pagenaud even before the crash. He had recorded no Top 10 finishes in the eight races before Mid-Ohio.

The French driver's IndyCar career peaked between 2016 and 2019 during his stint with Team Penske. He won his sole championship in 2016 and his sole Indy 500 in 2019. In 2024, he returned to Penske's side, not as a driver, but as a mentor to Scott McLaughlin.