Triumphing in the two biggest races of the year
PUMA Motorsport snatched away two titles in one day
May 29, 2019
What a weekend it was for PUMA Motorsport winning the two biggest races of the year in one day!
First, Lewis Hamilton won the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – a very special one as the F1 world remembered and honored F1 legend Niki Lauda, who passed away last week at the age of 70.
Then, PUMA supplied driver Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske won the Indianapolis 500, arguably the most prestigious race of the calendar.
The F1 Monaco Grand Prix was the fourth win of the 2019 season for Five-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, but it was a special one. Partly because he was left out on the track by his team for around 60 out of the 78 laps and particularly because the F1 Monaco Grand Prix was held in honor of his friend, former F1 World Champion and Mercedes AMG Petronas team colleague Niki Lauda.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Lewis led the race at Formula 1’s greatest backdrop from pole to flag . “That was definitely the hardest race I’ve had. I really was fighting with the spirit of Niki. I was trying to stay focused and make him proud,” Lewis Hamilton said after the race according to reuters.com
With his win, PUMA team Mercedes extended their winning run to six. Lewis Hamilton has 137 points, 17 more than runner-up Valtteri Bottas.
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That was for you, Niki. Your fighting spirit was right there with me every step of the way. I know you are looking down and taking your hat off to us. I miss you, we truly miss you and I hope we did you proud today, legend.
A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on May 26, 2019 at 9:38am PDT
Team Penske driver Simon Pagenaud arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the pleasant benefit of starting the Indy 500 from pole position, which he claimed last week for the first time. He left the speedway as the new Indianapolis 500 champion, also for the first time.
Having swapped leads with runner-up Alexander Rossi five times over the final 13 laps, Simon Pagenaud finished with a margin of 0.2086 seconds ahead of his rival, the seventh-closest finish in the 103 years of the race.
Simon Pagenaud will soon find his face engraved on the Borg-Warner trophy that is presented to the winner of the Indianapolis 500 race, paying tribute to the most revered drivers in auto racing. It comes with the honor of having a little square with one’s face sculpted onto the 79-year-old trophy.
Simon Pagenaud now leads the 2019 IndyCar Series Standings with 250 points. Even better: his team colleague and PUMA supplied driver Josef Newgarden is ranked 2nd just one point behind Simon.
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Been dreaming of this moment my entire life – drinking milk at the #Indy500!!! Dreams do come true – thank YOU Team Penske and Indianapolis Motor Speedway!! WE JUST DID THAT!!!
A post shared by Simon Pagenaud (@simonpagenaud) on May 26, 2019 at 1:49pm PDT
Cover Picture Credit: PUMA sponsored team MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS MOTORSPORT / Tom Fitzpatrick, Partner Executive
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is the world’s oldest major automobile race. Better known as the Indy 500 or the Indianapolis 500, it is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. Drivers race 200 laps, counter-clockwise around the circuit, for a distance of 500 miles (800 km).
It is contested as part of the IndyCar Series, the top level of American Championship Car racing, an open-wheel open-cockpit formula. The event, often referred to as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, which comprises three of the most prestigious motorsports events in the world, also including the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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