Simon Pagenaud has signed a deal to race with Meyer Shank Racing’s IndyCar program in 2022, leaving his long-time home of Team Penske.
Pagenaud will switch from the #22 Menards Chevy over to the #60 SiriusXM Honda, which was vacated by Jack Harvey at the end of this season.
The Frenchman struggled a bit this year, only earning two podiums and finishing eighth in the championship.
Pagenaud will be paired alongside Helio Castroneves, with the very experienced duo completing an expanded lineup that sees Meyer Shank Racing run two full time entries in IndyCar for the first time.
“This is such an exciting time in my career,” said Pagenaud. “MSR has proven it is a high-quality organization when they won the Indianapolis 500 and pairing Helio and me together will help our team in 2022 and beyond.
“I’m really looking forward to this new challenge.”
Pagenaud had raced with Team Penske since 2015, winning an Indy 500 and an IndyCar championship during the seven-year partnership.
The 37-year-old has also made a habit of running in endurance races with Team Penske’s sportscar division, which will presumably not continue.
Meyer Shank Racing does have its own IMSA program, however, and would likely be more than willing to place Pagenaud in that seat as well.
“Next year will be a big year for MSR and I think we have a very strong lineup of drivers between Simon and Helio,” said team owner Mike Shank.
“We have built this program every year, growing with our partners and working to have all the ingredients we need to be competitive.
“Our Indianapolis 500 win was a big breakthrough, and we are looking forward to having a consistently competitive program that will have the chance to fight for wins and podiums no matter where we go and I think this lineup will help us do that.”
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