NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 109TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

May 18, 2025

Jacob Abel

Pato O'Ward

Takuma Sato

Robert Shwartzman

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: LCQ today. We'll start with that. Jacob Abel, driver of the No. 51 Miller High Life Honda for Dale Coyne Racing. I know this is not the way you thought your first month of May would go your thoughts on not making the field here in 2025?

JACOB ABEL: I'm sure you don't want to be talking to me. I want to be talking to him. That was pretty insane, Shwartzman getting pole. Tale of two different rookie years, I suppose.

It's a bummer because the whole week kind of felt like it was going really well. We had pace. I was happy with the car. We were good in traffic. We were pretty good on the no tows. We had consistent, conservative runs on Friday with way more downforce than we had on today. They ended up being 3 miles an hour faster than we ran today. So they have an anomaly.

We kind of thought we found something last night that should have been pretty clear to help us. It was the issue we thought, but yeah, so that ended up not being it. It's weird.

It's both the Dale Coyne cars too. It's not just me. Rinus isn't happy either. We got slower and slower each run. I actually got excitement and then was a bit down in the dumps all day today, and then Rinus goes out and does a 226 something. I'm, like, Oh, we actually have a chance at this now.

Yeah, went out and fought all four laps, stayed on top of the tools to maintain the balance, but just didn't have any speed at all. It's weird. It's weird. It's just the car doesn't accelerate up to the same speeds that all the other cars do.

So I hope they find something. Otherwise, Rinus is probably going to have a pretty tough Sunday next week. Yeah, I guess I will be watching on the sidelines.

THE MODERATOR: How would you describe overall this first month of May for you, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

JACOB ABEL: It's great. I'm going to try as hard as I can to not get emotional, but it's a dream come true. I grew up Louisville, Kentucky, only a couple of hours away from here, and I've been a fan of this sport forever. In the past few years kind of poking my head and in out of the paddock where I can get away with going and not on race day and the whole month of May.

To finally have a purpose of being here and to be a driver even in just four days of practice was a really, really cool experience and something that I'll forever remember driving the Miller High Life car too. It's a real bummer that it's not going to be in the race. Huge thanks to them and Mecum for all of their support.

Yeah, it sucks, but it was cool while it lasted.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. I know you've been vague about it, but what exactly started missing as the runs went on?

JACOB ABEL: It was literally just outright speed. We would start our warmup lap, and you kind of have a map that you run on the warmup lap that makes the car go slower. As soon as yesterday, we switched into the fast map, and starting with our warmup lap it was already 5 miles an hour down. We had to start switching that map way earlier just to get our warmup lap going so we could build up to speed.

It was just weird. It was an outright pace thing. It felt like a drag thing. We changed the gear box last night. That didn't fix it. We looked everywhere, all the engine stuff. That looks fine.

Yeah, I think it was just an outright just speed and pace thing. The car feels good. We kept trimming out, trimming out. It didn't feel super easy, but we were still flat each lap. Was able to stay ahead of the balance enough to keep it that way, but in the end we just didn't have any speed, just any speed on the straightaway. We're 3 miles an hour down in the corners, and we're 3 miles an hour down at the end of the straight-away. It's an outright speed for the whole entire time the tires are rolling on the ground.

Q. You've been in the Road to Indy for years. This has been the goal of every driver who comes through this ladder system. How difficult is it to get here and not make the show?

JACOB ABEL: Yeah, it sucks. It's awful. Our whole season has kind of been pretty miserable so far, to be frank. We've had sort of issue after issue, week in, week out. It's been tough.

Like you said, I've been working my whole life to get into INDYCAR, and this is, what, the first six or seven races have been like. I remember about 12 months ago when I was sitting on this stage because I got two poles and won the INDY NXT here race. It's a little bit of a different scenario now just trying to stay mentally as positive as I can because there are certainly some self-doubts that are trying to creep in. Yeah, just trying to stay as positive as I can.

Q. You just said to yourself it is weird that you didn't find enough speed. Rinus seems to be struggling as well. Could it have something to do with maybe losing power with the engine, and does the car also give you an indication earlier the last days that there was something wrong missing with the speed?

JACOB ABEL: Yeah, we don't know the answer. I don't think it's in the engine necessarily. I mean, you have so many things that you can look at. If there was a big red flag, we would have seen it and fixed it. That's what I was looking for yesterday. I thought we found it. Ended up not being the case, unfortunately.

We're not going to go, like, minus 15 degrees on the rear wing and put the thing in the wall to go 227, right? There comes a time there where there's a balance, right? We know the speed that we need. We know the aero packages that we were at. We are already as trimmed as the other cars or more trimmed.

It was just a speed thing outright. We don't really know what it was, unfortunately. Hopefully they'll do some research the next week and figure it out for Rinus.

Q. (Off microphone)

JACOB ABEL: No, I have no clue. If we knew that, we would have done it for today, and we would be in the show, like we felt confident that we were going to be all week. Yeah, not quite sure.

THE MODERATOR: It has been a joy seeing your smile walking around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the last several days. Can't wait to see you back here next week. Thank you. Thanks for coming up, Jacob.

Moving ahead to front row for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, Pato O'Ward joins us driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, who has qualified for his sixth Indy 500. First front row start. Previous best was a fifth place start a couple of years ago in 2023. Tell us about the Firestone Fast Six.

PATO O'WARD: Yeah, super stoked to have my first front row start here at the 500. Definitely was pushing for that pole. First of all, I want to thank everybody, guys and gals, at Arrow McLaren. This is obviously the first time that I've had a true shot to compete for pole, but also compete to be one of the best three. We've got the best few going into turn one.

Big thanks to them, Team Chevy, you know, for us and as well for the pole setter. The rookie of rookies on ovals, team, I mean, it's phenomenal what they did today. It really is. I think it's an amazing storyline.

I'm happy to see that they obviously do look surprised. I believe they've built a rocket, and it's phenomenal to see it's the best definition that I can probably give Indianapolis is full of surprises. Yeah, just cool to be a part of it.

THE MODERATOR: Cool to see on the front row. Open it up to questions.

Q. I would like to start talking about Jacob. You just gave him a handshake. You missed your first Indy 500, much like him. What would you say to Jacob to deal with that situation?

PATO O'WARD: You're better off watching the race than racing in a shit car. I mean, it's miserable. 200 laps in a car that sucks. You don't want that. That's horrible. So I was actually kind of relieved when I didn't make it.

I hope he kind of feels the same because otherwise, he's just going to be pounding around there, and it's not like he's pounding around in 100 miles an hour. Like we're going fricking fast, and accidents can happen just in a blink of an eye.

When something is not really that comfortable, I think it's obviously a heart break, but I know exactly how it feels. I'm sure we're going to see him here next year.

Q. Your struggles with speed throughout the month of May last year were well-documented. How gratifying is it to know that you finished second with a tough car last year, you're starting third this year? How would you rate your chances?

PATO O'WARD: Oh, man. 200 laps, it's 500 miles, it's a fricking long race. Whoever looks to be winning it in the middle of the race is probably not going to win it because things change so much for the Indy 500.

We're right there. I know how to position myself in order to have a shot, and I really embrace this event and everything that goes with it. I can't wait to get onto the green flag, have the best view that I've ever had starting an Indy 500. I think there's a lot of new and excitement that I'll be able to appreciate and experience.

Q. I know you couldn't hear it in the car, but the crowd perhaps gave the loudest cheer outside the Shwartzman for when you took the green flag. Not even put up a speed. Talk about these fans here at the speedway.

PATO O'WARD: Oh, man, they're phenomenal. They make the magic that much more, when you really get to experience what Indy means. I love seeing the 5 shirts walking around, people chanting your name. It's really special. I never thought in my career that I would be able to experience something so special.

I just think everything that has to do with the month of May, like, everybody embraces it. Everybody is, like, into it. That just gives it an extra element of just bad assness. I feel like this month, you know, I feel like a lot of us are walking around with extensions in our pants because it's just -- man, it's so fricking gnarly. It is gnarly.

You have to take these cars to the edge after you've already taken it to the edge just to find a little bit extra speed. The feeling is unbelievable, but that feeling can also be pretty devastating when you destroy a car that you know is probably the best one that you're going to have all month.

The stakes are so high, but the preparations and all that stuff, I mean, that's why people come and watch qualifying here because I feel like specifically this year has just been bad ass.

Q. A couple of times you have mentioned how you're going to have the best view. Why does the view matter?

PATO O'WARD: Because no one is in front of you, bro. You see turn one, and you just start accelerating as soon as pole man starts accelerating. Yeah, that's just what it is (laughing). I've always had a few rows in front of me, so...

Q. Were you aware of what was going on with the Penske cars there in qualifying, why they didn't qualify? Do you care? Did you feel that they were intentionally breaking the rules, or is it something that people do and work on?

PATO O'WARD: They weren't accidentally doing it because they had the blowtorch right there in order to get it out. Honestly, I feel for Abel and for everybody that did the disqualifications or the last chance qualifying. Those cars weren't in regulations.

I'm not an engineer, so I can't tell you what they were doing, how much speed that it is or if it is any speed. Obviously it's not in regulation. The rule is pretty black and white. Those cars should have been in the last chance qualifier. Like, those cars should have never -- obviously they didn't do anything in the Fast 12, but they should have been brought into the LCQ because they had that yesterday, I guarantee you. Until someone pointed it out today. Those cars, if they're disqualified today, they should have been disqualified yesterday.

It's a shame really because they don't need to be doing that stuff. They're a great team. They have got great drivers. Why are doing that? It makes no sense.

THE MODERATOR: See you back here tomorrow. Thanks, Pato.

Continuing with the front row for the Indianapolis 500, joined now by the second place qualifying driver and the two-time Indy 500 champion in Takuma Satu, driver of the No. 75 AMADA Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, that's now qualified for his 16th 500. Second front row start. Last time was a third place starting position in 2020, which you happened to win. Maybe this front row thing bodes well for race day.

TAKUMA SATO: Right.

THE MODERATOR: We'll see. What did you have? What did you not have?

TAKUMA SATO: Well, first of all, I want to say a huge congrats to the Robert Shwartzman and PREMA Team. What an amazing event with pulling another rookie driver in pole position is entirely impressive. Huge congrats to everyone involving for that team.

For our sake, I think no matter what result was today, I think getting the top six was our goal. Once we locked into the top six, I think we should be very proud of the team.

I'm very happy for the team who put my car, the 75 car, on the front row, which is amazing result because I think we were kind of a roller coaster situation. Not just today, but through yesterday and probably the last two weeks. As everybody knows that the team has to build brand new car after we had a moment in open test.

We showed good speed, but wasn't able to produce a good lap in through the practice. In the quarterfinal finally the car was perfection. Very, very impressive. Very happy for my engineer, Eddie Jones, who should be retired five years ago, but I keep pulling him back from Ireland.

Myself and entire engineering team and 75 crews, you know, it's amazing the people, just their dedication and meticulous job. I understand every team applied the same rule, but I think they did a phenomenal job. They are really great, deserve to be celebrated for the front row, and of course, I'm very, very happy to be back in the front row.

THE MODERATOR: One or two questions for Takuma.

Q. Just a little technical question. You seem to be flying with speed. Do you have explanation why your teammates are struggling to getting to speed?

TAKUMA SATO: Well, there is lots of small things and details and working together. I think for overall team, Graham explained it. I think material-wise and build quality for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing over the course of the few years, I think we've seen the best.

I think you can pinpoint it. In fact, I think No. 30 car, Devlin is really driving beautifully. He had a little bad issue, but in terms of speed actually he was quicker than me.

Taking account all team has obviously access to my data and setup and et cetera, but working extremely together. We're working together, the engineering group, and that's the key to squeezing out speed, which I'm very enjoying with that part of the team. I think we already observed that Rahal team are definitely faster than last year.

I'm happy to be putting this 75 car did a phenomenal job, so I'm very happy.

Q. Takuma, this is a one-off entry in the Indy 500 on the front row. You're the fastest Honda as well. Just kind of talk about that. That's an incredible effort from the Rahal team.

TAKUMA SATO: I think the whole credit obviously should go to the team as well as I'm, how can I say, happily proud as a group member. Not just one-off. But also, yes, physically one-off, but since really last year when I joined the team over the course of winter. They are there. I'm involving little bit of development, which was very interesting. Obviously all done by the team, of course.

Proud to be part of it, and big thanks to the Bobby and Mike in particular commitment they show. It's incredible. And the whole teammates, too. Don't forget HRC Honda. Amazing comeback.

It was a very crystal water we were having challenging last two seasons, but they come back so strong. I'm very happy for them for HRC to put my car in the front row. Very happy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Congratulations. See you tomorrow.

We'll get started with our pole winner for the Indianapolis 500. As we continue, though, for the pole position for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 Robert Shwartzman, driver of the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet with his first NTT P1 award in his rookie year on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. First rookie to win the pole since Teo Fabi did so back in 1983. Tony Stewart qualified second in '96 and inherited the pole after the Scott Brayton incident.

First driver from Israel in the Indianapolis 500. PREMA Racing is also the first-year team to win the pole since Meyer Motor Racing back in 1984. That team put Tom Sneva on the pole and Howdy Holmes in the second qualifying spot. Made a little history here today. What does it feel like?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Honestly it's unbelievable. I was just processing it, and I still can't believe it. It's just a dream.

I was just thinking in my dreams fantasizing, How will it feel to take pole position in Indy 500? How is the vibe? Then I was, like, Yeah, Robert, get back to reality. You have a new car, new team, you are a rookie. How can you expect to be in this position? It's just in your dreams.

But still I was keeping that tiny dream deep inside like maybe, maybe. Yeah, coming here, honestly, we missed the first testing day. Let's say the free practice. Even so, I think the thing that made me sit here now in this position I think is just the right team mentality. You don't need to be a genius. You don't need to have incredible experience. You just need to have a good people around you as a team, which are conscious of what they're doing.

You know, as a whole team, you just know that, Okay, we'll go step by step, small steps without rushing because even though I don't have experience, I've heard a lot of people saying that Indy doesn't forgive. One slight mistake can cost you a lot.

We've seen Colton, Marcus, Scotty, they were really fast, but I think they could have definitely challenged, but with that mistake, they didn't manage to do it. So that was the thing that I didn't really want to do. That's why we didn't come up with the warmup yesterday and in practice today. It was just like, you know, No, let's keep it safe, just stable. We know that the car is quite quick. Just need to be consistent, do the four laps, and the last run I just give it all. I give maximum what I could.

I tried to stay as long as possible flat, and yeah, here we are. We managed to survive it. I managed to hold it on. Honestly it was the best feeling ever. The car was just amazing.

THE MODERATOR: Let me go through, before we open it up for questions, where you placed each day at practice here for Indianapolis. Tuesday you were 33rd quick. Wednesday you were 28th quick. Thursday, 32nd quick. Friday, bumped up to 13th. Now here you are starting from pole position. Where did you find? It was a confidence thing?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Just to make it clear, I think in free practice we were definitely way faster than where we were. The problem is that other people were mainly simulating race runs while we were actually focusing on quallie runs. We were always in the free air trying to search and find the free air, obviously without the boost.

So that's why we were not as good-looking in the field because other drivers, they had slip stream, and that was definitely giving them some speed advantage. We didn't really care at that stage, let's say, at the ranking. The target was just to get the car in the right window with the right balance for quallie.

Again, that's another thing. I would have not known how to approach it, but luckily, there is my engineer, Eric, who have done that in the past, he was a Joseph engineer, and he knew how Indy 500 works.

That was his input, and he said, Guys, we're going to do it like this. Obviously we have full trust in him. At the end here we are. He managed to give me a pole position car.

THE MODERATOR: It's an amazing story. We'll open it up to questions.

Q. Robert, you mentioned that this was a dream. When was your first memory of the Indianapolis 500?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: My first memory was when I was in Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco, I was just as a kid, let's say, just watching the Formula 1 race, and at the same time it was going the Indy 500 race. So there was my friends and sponsors, and they invited me to a yacht, like the part of Monaco. I was just sitting there. It was no Formula 1 running. It was actually after the race of Formula 1. Normally Monaco is quite boring, as we know. There is not many possibilities of overtaking. It's more quallie race for me.

Then we were just sitting there, and on the TV there was Indy 500 race running there. Honestly I was just looking. It was so much more exciting. I was just, like, Damn, until last turn you don't know who is going to win. I was being like, Okay, this guy is fast, he's going to win, and then all of a sudden, no, he's getting overtaken and then another guy and another guy. The rotation is always changing.

That was the first member, Damn, this is amazing. This is proper battle. Then I obviously start hearing a lot of things about Indy that it's another way from Formula 1. Let's say if you don't go to Formula 1, the best thing is to go to INDYCAR. Yeah, here we are.

It happened so that unfortunately I haven't been given a chance to go to F1 even though I really tried my best. I know it's, like, Okay, if that's not the way to go, I'll try here in Indy, and here we are. I think it's a good place to be in. I really like it. I really enjoy it.

It's first experience on ovals. That was just something unbelievable. Especially going 240 miles an hour, which is like 385 kilometers an hour. It's just a new experience. I've never driven so fast a car.

Now sitting here being in pole position is just, again, just a wow.

Q. Have you ever had a crowd cheer for you like that?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I don't remember. It's been really, really long time since I raced like this. I've been in an environment like this for me. Crowd is amazing here. Honestly, it's been since like the moment I felt like we were fast and people start noticing us that we were actually not too bad, we're pretty competitive, it started picking up this level of people just, like, you know, cheering, cheering, cheering.

Yeah, honestly, at the end now when we took the pole, it's unbelievable, the roar, how loud it is. I mean, it's been a long time since I heard that.

Q. You mentioned you focused mainly on quallie sims throughout practice. How important are these next two days of practice to get the race can car dialed in?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: For sure. For me, like I said, we spoke with Ryan who was helping me, Ryan Briscoe, and he was, like, basically Indy splits in two races. There is one race that is just quallies and then there is another race which is actual race. For me it's the same approach.

We don't have much time obviously, and we need to try to figure out what's about best way for the race car, how is it going to be looking like? Plus, I don't have much experience. I have none experience racing on oval, so I don't know exactly how are the overtakes, how do you defend? It's something absolutely new. So I don't want to put any high expectation on myself on that point.

It's obviously amazing to start first, but again, I just probably take it easy. I guess I need to just analyze and see what the others are also doing because, you know, it's very easy to make be a mistake here. As I said, it can cost a lot. I just want to make it a smooth ride. The approach is just we use maximum we can the free practice we got for the race, and then hopefully it's going to be good enough to put the car in a decent position. Then we're just going to race. I try to enjoy the battling, the racing with the other guys.

Q. Two questions for you: Number one, I heard that Ryan Briscoe is part of the PREMA Team. Is it fair to say that he maybe prepared you with this open-wheel experience?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: For sure. Yeah, for sure he helps. That's what he's doing. He's really helping a lot with his experience, his knowledge, things he was doing in his past.

Yeah, yesterday morning I was feeling really nervous about going to the qualifying. I was, like, Ryan, were you actually nervous going for quallie? For me I never actually was nervous in my career in qualifying. It's just one lap. You go there. There's nothing dangerous, nothing scary. Here it was, like, first time being really nervous to go out there and, like, because you don't know. You don't know what's going to be, how the car is going to be. You definitely don't want to end up crashing here.

I was really nervous, and I was, like, Ryan, were you nervous? He was, like, Yeah, I was. It's normal. It's absolutely normal. We chatted. He calmed me down. He is, like, Listen, take it easy. It's the first year. You're a rookie. No expectations. Just enjoy it.

That's what I did. Especially when you have a good car and you can get confidence and trust that the car is going to be good, that also helps a lot. And the second one?

Q. The second question is, very sadly your home country had headlines with this war situation. You coming now here and are on pole as rookie after more than 40 years, do you think you're an ambassador to bring positive headlines back to your home country and hopefully maybe one day we have international race in Israel and a really good racetrack will be built? What you do you think?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: It would be amazing if we would go to Israel. Obviously, I'm not in control of it. It's a dream. Like you said, it's definitely an amazing idea to have a race track in Israel where we can do an international race because I heard the next couple of years we might go to Mexico. Honestly, I would also love to go to Israel if that would be built a proper racetrack.

Yeah, representing Israel I just want to believe that for all the people they realize that what is going on generally. Let's say, I'm not supporting it. I just want peace in the world. I want people to be good, and I don't want the separation of countries saying this is bad country, this is good country. There is no bad or good. We're all human beings. We just have to support each other and respect each other. That's as well.

We need it also find ways to, let's say, negotiate things, find ways to agree on things because from my experience, there is always a gold medal, I'm calling it. There's always the right path.

Yeah, I really hope that at the end of the day everything is going to be good in the world, it's going to be all calm. From my side I try to just represent my country and do my best, let people know that I'm here, and that I'm giving it all. I'm not giving up with whatever I have in my career, in my past. I not giving up, and I won't give up. So I keep pushing, so people just have that belief, keep going forward, and yeah, just look forward. Never look back.

Q. (Off microphone)

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I was not born, but -- I lived in Ashkelon and born in Tel Aviv obviously, but I think for three years we lived in Ashkelon, but I didn't know about racetrack. I heard later on that there was this race and that there was a racetrack and that they raced, but it's been long time ago. Unfortunately I couldn't witness it.

THE MODERATOR: Well said, by the way. The reference to Ryan Briscoe, so everyone knows, ten-time starter in the Indy 500, won pole position back in 2012. You have got a lot of good advice this week.

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I know that.

Q. Obviously the last rookie to win the pole for the Indy 500 was in 1983, and that's your car number. Do you that's a good omen for Sunday?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: That's actually a good one. That's something symbolic. I didn't even know that. I want to believe that it's definitely a big thing. Some people believe in this numbers thing. Some people don't.

I find it kind of cool from my side, so yeah, as I said, I didn't expect myself to be here, honestly. I raced with the same number actually last year in WEC, and unfortunately, we didn't manage to win Lamond. We were really fast. We led most of the race. At that stage I was, like, well, you know, Lamond was so close, but we didn't get it.

Then when I came to Indy and I took the same number, I'm, like, I have to bring this number up. I have to do it. I have to push it up that people will sigh this number.

It's the second year with this number, and the fact that the last rookie was in '83, that means it's a good coincidence.

Q. In terms of your WEC experience, obviously it's an endurance race, and the race next week is a very long race. Do you think there's anything you can take away from your WEC experience to go into the 500?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Yeah, for sure. When I was doing Lamond overall I've driven a bit more than eight hours. You don't sleep. In that way when the races are so long, you get sort of this knowledge and ability of being just calm.

You sort of put yourself in autopilot. Just be smooth, take things under control, but you don't overpush yourself because you can go for so long at your max effort. You have to balance well your energy.

I think in that way endurance racing helped me to get this knowledge, to get this feeling and understanding how to approach races like that. Obviously in a week's time it's going to be a new thing for me. So definitely it's going to be difficult because it's not only long race, but it's like it's my first oval race starting from pole, so there is a lot of things going on.

Again, I just try to use that knowledge to just be calm and as I said, take it easy without rushing things up. Yeah, hopefully we're going to have a good, strong, fast, competitive car. Who knows? Maybe in the last laps I'm going to be there battling not only for pole position like for today but also for a race win. Thank you.

Q. First, I wanted to ask about the reception from the fans and you've talked about wanting to come and race in America, and you spoke about sort of the texts between your home country and the world view of it. To hear that reaction and to get that acceptance from the fans for winning the pole, what was your reaction of that? In general, how you've been treated by fans since you joined INDYCAR?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Honestly, really well. That's the thing that I want to bring up to generally the whole world. I think here in U.S. people are way less judgeful, let's say. I have never felt that anybody would judge from where I come from. They just judge what you do, which is fair. If you do good things, they will judge you as a good man. If you do bad things, you're a bad man. That's how it's supposed to be.

There is no, let's say, this separation of, like, oh, okay, you come from this country, it's in a worse state, they're bad, you're bad as well, and saying bad things.

Here, again, the fans are super supportive. They're really nice. Yeah, as I said, I never felt -- like here I feel really good with the fans.

Let's say in a couple of years in Europe it was a bit more tense for me. I have to admit. It was difficult moments. Most of the people that were in that environment, they understand, and they supported me, but there were also some people that were going against me.

It's been a very tough moment in my life where I was just, like, I haven't done anything bad. I didn't support anything. I generally just support my people from my country, but generally all the people with respect, and there were just some people saying bad things just because where I was born.

Q. My last question, I know you're a budding musician. Can we expect a song about this performance today any time soon?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: As I said, I need some good studio to contact me, and I'm down to get in the studio on the mic, and we can have a look at how we can lyrically do a really cool song about getting the pole in Indy 500.

THE MODERATOR: Do you care to get into explaining what he means by that question, about your musical ability here? You've got a song out, right?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I did one. It's called, "Active." Yeah, you can hear it if you want. I mean, it's been a long time. It's been, like, four years since I released it actually. At this stage I realize that I can do even better, but I think still it's a fun sock.

THE MODERATOR: You might get a trending now after this.

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Maybe people can start using social media to rotate, use my face or whatever, my name, and use that song.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. You've got a lot of interviews to do.

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I though I'm going to have a free, let's say, couple of days, but seems like not.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Robert. What a great story. Thank you, Robert.