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INDIANAPOLIS – When selecting the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, many factors must be taken into account.
Who has the fastest car? Who will choose the right strategy? Will a driver benefit from superior fuel consumption? Can a series of pitstop pitches make a difference? Can a leader hold a group on a late restart? What is the best place to make a crucial pass to glory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
What about desire? Is it possible that a driver wants to win this race more than anyone?
Let the debate begin.
"I know I want it the most," said Simon Pagenaud on Thursday. "I do not care what they want. I do not really care how much they want it. I just know what I'm doing and what I'm trying to do. That's all I can watch. I just have to be the best I can be. "
As Team Penske's pilot made his bold statement, teammate Helio Castroneves was about 10 meters away and was answering a series of endless questions about what it would ultimately mean to celebrate a fourth victory at the Indy 500.
Pagenaud is placed in an ideal position to win the victory by winning pole position. He is a proven champion of the NTT IndyCar Series 2016. But can anyone really tell Castroneves that they have more desire than him? The Brazilian claims to have learned in 18 previous editions of the Indy 500 that winning does not demand more than willpower.
"You may have the desire, but if you do not have the team, you do not have the synergy or if you do not have the track that will take you, it does not matter," said Castroneves . "Talk about Michael Andretti (who has never won as a pilot), he has a very good story to tell about desire, especially with the family tradition. Always be in the right place at the right time. You must read between the lines to know when you are in this position. "
Scott Dixon, five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 2008 Indy 500, also rejects the idea that desire determines the outcome.
"Desire has a lot to do with that, but I think everyone on this level has the same desire, at least the people who are running for the win," said Dixon. "You do not reach this stage without having the dedication, the desire or the ultimate desire to win."
When he learned of Pagenaud's statement and compared it to the severity of Castroneves, Rahal respectfully disapproved Dixon's assessment.
"There are some people for whom this place makes a lot of sense. You must have desire, "said Rahal. "I do not doubt that Helio has (more). I know Simon would say the opposite, but Helio can join an elite club. To win, it is an elite club. But win four, be one of the four at that time to do it? It's quite special. I hope that he will retire afterwards. "
All right, but could anyone also say that no one wants to win this race more than Rahal?
"I think it's true," he said. "I have lived this thing. I lived it all my life. We work hard for that. I hope this will happen at some point. It seems so elusive, but I hope it will work.
Ed Carpenter was second behind Will Power last year with his best performance at Indianapolis 500 to date. He has won the pole three times and will start his 16th Indy 500 starting in the middle of the first row on Sunday. He grew up in the shadow of IMS and repeated throughout his career how much the 500 figure means more than anything.
But Carpenter, like Dixon, is known for his lucidity as to how emotion can come in. He agrees with Dixon.
"It's not for me to say what another person wants," said Carpenter. "We all worked hard to get here. It's a good thing about opinions, we all have them.
"You will never be able to find common ground on a room full of drivers. It's impossible. "
Carpenter suggests that if a pilot did not have this desire to win this race, he or she would not be motivated to "do the work and expose the risk" required to succeed.
Josef Newgarden of the Penske team, who leads the NTT IndyCar Series after the first five races of the 2019 season, is also trying to win his first Indy 500.
"I think this is inherent in all these pilots," he said. "I do not see how you could want more. We all want it. We are all selfish. We all want to win every race and not let anyone fall. That's how you are. It sounds terrible, but as a competitor, that's where you need to be. "
He told Castroneves he was reminded that it was the tenth anniversary of his third victory. The fact that it is a decade can lead to teasing in a good mood. But Newgarden knows that Castroneves, at 44, could still succeed.
"Look, Helio is as capable as anyone," said Newgarden. "Obviously, he probably has the best references from all the players on the ground."
And Castroneves certainly has the desire.
"Yes, he does it, like all of us," said Newgarden. "I really want to beat Helio, and he really wants to beat me."
The broadcast of the 103rd edition of the Indianapolis 500 begins with a preliminary show at 9 am, Sunday on NBCSN, followed by coverage of the NBC race at 11 am. NBCSN hosts a show after 4 pm to 4 pm
Advance Auto Parts' INDYCAR radio network goes into service at 11am.
The INDYCAR Mobile app optimized by NTT DATA is the ultimate experience in two-screen display: it provides synchronization and scoring, team radio communications and a selection of cameras embedded. It is available free on all carriers.
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