Sébastien Bourdais, the return of the “hero”

The victory of Sébastien Bourdais on the oldest oval in the United States has a much greater impact than that of Detroit at the end of May: « On this type of oval, you can go from hero to zero and become a hero again » declares the Frenchman. The fans and journalists are full of praise for the KVSH Racing driver, who had up to a lap lead over all his competitors before the final yellow flag. The Frenchman’s style is even described as “American-style driving.”

Sébastien Bourdais has remained a simple man, without pretense. His 4 Champ Car titles, his 34 victories in North American single-seaters, and his podium finishes in endurance racing have not clouded his judgment, even after a race he dominated: “You are only as good as your car is and you can only dominate as much as the competition allows.”

The Frenchman doesn’t play a role; he remains himself. Despite the extensive media coverage he has received in Champ Car, endurance, and F1, Sea Bass is still quite shy in front of television cameras. This contrasts with American drivers like Graham Rahal or Marco Andretti, with their showman side when mingling with Hollywood stars and starlets of the show business. Bourdais remains a “simple” driver passionate about his job, who enjoys talking technical with journalists.

An “American-style pilot”

This simplicity and sincerity are part of the character that Americans appreciate. Because when he puts on a show after a victory, it’s for the pleasure of the spectators: stopping to take the checkered flag in the cockpit. Doing some doughnuts. Taking a victory lap. It’s the definition of the legendary “American-style driver.” IndyCar has one. exclaims Race x in a comment on Racer.com. Great to finally see an American-style driver win an oval and drive with good old American style. adds Vucky.

The renowned Robin Miller, journalist for Racer Magazine and NBC Sports, goes as far as to compare the Frenchman’s domination to that of Michael Andretti. Newspaper article headlines are as laudatory as the comments from other drivers: “Bourdais? The guy isn’t a four-time champion by chance,” states Helio Castroneves. “I was a teammate with him and saw all his facets,” says Graham Rahal, “when it’s his day, he’s damn hard to beat. That’s a fact.”

Paul Tracy, his best enemy

Everyone emphasizes Sébastien Bourdais’s superiority in this old Milwaukee race, an icon of North American circuits, including his great Champ Car rival Paul Tracy, now a commentator for NBC Sports: « I hate to say it, but it’s the best race I’ve ever seen in Sébastien Bourdais’s career. There’s nothing more impressive. »

The videos of the fights between Sébastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy, wheel to wheel on the track or fist to fist on the sidelines, still delight internet users. But the great rivalry between the Frenchman and the Canadian never erased a certain mutual respect: « It’s funny, it’s when the rivalry is over that you can really realize the respect there is between two drivers, and I have a ton of respect for his abilities and what he has done in his career,” states Bourdais about his opponent.

On Lucidity

Sea Bass doesn’t forget that he doesn’t have the best car on the grid and that the competition is tougher than in the days of Champ Car: « I dominated the discipline and the seasons when there were only 5 or 6 cars that could really give me a run for my money. Now there are 15 cars that can win at every race. » the Frenchman emphasizes, « It’s much harder to win, especially when you’re no longer with a big team, and I think we’re doing an excellent job. »

With this victory, his second of the season, Sébastien Bourdais has climbed to sixth place in the IndyCar championship with 343 points. At the top of the overall standings, Juan Pablo Montoya has 439 points. So far, there have been 8 different winners this year, and no driver has secured more than 2 victories.

In partnership with www.indycar.fr