Sebastien Bourdais Qualifying Summary:
Sebastien Bourdais overcame significant neck pain to qualify for tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on the 2.258-mile, 11-turn WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca permanent road course in Monterey, California. Bourdais “tweaked” his neck in afternoon practice yesterday and received several rounds of treatment, but was still fighting the pain prior to qualifying. He went out in group one in round one of qualifying and recorded a fast lap of 1:11.0095. The time put the No. 18 Team SealMaster – Dale Coyne Vasser-Sullivan car 10th on the speed charts out of the 12 cars in the group, so Bourdais did not advance to the second round. He will start 19th in tomorrow’s race.
Sebastien Bourdais Qualifying Quote:
“It’s been a difficult 24 hours with everything that has gone on. In qualifying, I didn’t put the lap together. It’s on me. I didn’t start early enough and made a mistake on the first timed lap on the reds (Firestone alternate tire). Then on the second try I came short by about three tenths. Starting where we are is not physically ideal for me right now, but the SealMaster Honda No. 18 is better than where we qualified so we’ll just have to see what we can do tomorrow.”
Fast Facts:
Bourdais has qualified in the top-10 nine times in the 17-race 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season. He qualified a season-high second at St. Louis, was third in Texas, qualified fifth at Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio, seventh at Road America and for the Indy 500, eighth at Toronto, ninth for Detroit Race 2, and 10th for the INDYCAR Grand Prix.
This is the first time Bourdais has not qualified in the top-four in three attempts at Laguna Seca. He has one pole, 2004 and qualified fourth in 2003. In two previous races he has a best finish of eighth, also in 2004.
After the first 16 races of the 17-race NTT IndyCar Series season, Bourdais is 11th in the championship standings with 335 points. He has scored eight top-10 finishes including a season high third place finish at Barber and a fifth at COTA. He finished seventh at Pocono, eighth at Toronto and Texas, and ninth at Detroit GP Race 2, Iowa and Portland. Bourdais also has four 11th place showings, Mid-Ohio, Detroit Race 1, Long Beach and the INDYCAR GP, placed 12th at Road America, 19th at St. Louis, 24th at St. Petersburg and 30th in the Indy 500.
The 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be Bourdais’ 205th NTT IndyCar Series start and third at Laguna Seca Raceway.
Bourdais is contesting his 14th NTT IndyCar Series season and second with Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan.
In 204 career IndyCar starts, he has won 37 races (sixth all-time) and captured 34 pole positions (seventh all time).
Bourdais is the only driver to win four consecutive IndyCar championships (2004 – 2007).
Bourdais, 40, is a native of Le Mans, France but resides in St. Petersburg, Florida
Race Broadcast:
Round 17 of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season will be the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, September 20-22, on the 2.258-mile, 11-turn WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca permanent road course in Monterey, California.
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