Pato O’Ward joins him on the front row for the 109th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”
Rookie Robert Shwartzman puts Chevrolet on Pole for Indianapolis 500
Pato O’Ward will start from third giving Chevy two drivers on the front row
Rookie Robert Shwartzman had the drive of his life as he made his
four-lap qualifying run for his first Indianapolis 500 and his first
oval. The driver of the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet was the third
driver to roll onto the 2.5-mile oval during Firestone Fast Six
qualifying and set the mark to beat with a four lap average of
232.790mph. The 25-year-old held off a challenge from fellow Team Chevy
driver Pato O’Ward, behind the wheel of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren
Chevrolet, who will start on the outside of the front-row.
* Shwartzman and O’Ward were joined in the Fast 12 by fellow Team
Chevy drivers David Malukas in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies
Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing, who will start from 7th, Christian
Lundgaard in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, who will start from 8th,
Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, who will
start 10th, Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet,
who will start 11th and Will Power in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske
Chevrolet, who will start 12th.
* Shwartman is the first rookie Indianapolis 500 pole winner since Teo
Fabi in 1983.
* PREMA Racing is the first new entry to win the Indianapolis 500 pole
since Mayer Motor Racing won the 1984 pole with Tom Sneva behind the
wheel.
* Ryan Briscoe won the first Indianapolis 500 pole in the twin-turbo
2.2L era of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition with Chevrolet power. This
year, Briscoe is the Sporting Director for PREMA Racing, who wins the
first Indianapolis 500 pole in the hybrid twin-turbo 2.2L era.
* Shwartzman and O’Ward are the 27th and 28th Team Chevy drivers to
start on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 since the introduction of
the 2.2L twin-turbo formula in 2012. Eight of those are poles, nine are
in the middle of the front row, and 11 are from the outside of the front
row.
* All 18 Team Chevy entries made the field of 33 drivers for the 109th
Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
* Shwartzman is the 14th Chevrolet powered driver to win the
Indianapolis 500 pole.
Chevrolet powered Indianapolis 500 pole winners
2025 – Robert Shwartzman – PREMA Racing
2024 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske
2019 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske
2018 – Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing
2015 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing
2014 – Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing
2013 – Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing
2012 – Ryan Briscoe – Team Penske
2002 – Bruno Junqueira – Chip Ganassi Racing
1991 – Rick Mears – Team Penske
1990 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske
1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske
1988 – Rick Mears – Team Penske
1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing
Firestone Fast Six Qualifying Results
Fast 12 Qualifying Results:
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING INDIANAPOLIS 5 [4]00 SUNDAY QUALIFYING
Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet / PREMA Racing
* Sunday Qualifying Rank: 1st
* Four Lap Average: 232.790mph
* Quote: “Well, unbelievable guys we made it. My first ever Indy 500
pole as a rookie with the rookie team PREMA Racing. I mean overall, I
just want to say a big thanks to PREMA and to Chevy for their support
and for their work. We’ve done a really good job with progressing the
car and honestly now I still can’t believe it. Mentally I’m quite
exhausted, I just need to digest this whole thing, that I’m going to be
starting on pole for the Indy 500. So yeah, just amazing. Big thanks to
all the fans for the support and to everybody who was supporting me and
believing in me for all these years. A huge thank you to everyone at
Team Chevy for the support!!!! What a result for everyone!
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet / Arrow McLaren
* Sunday Qualifying Rank: 3rd
* Four Lap Average: 232.098mph
* Quote: “I’ve never been on the front row for an Indy 500, so this is
great. This is literally what I wanted. I told my family yesterday that
my goal was to be starting on the outside of the front row. Obviously, I
would’ve loved pole, but it’s a tall task. You just never know here,
it’s always a surprise. I think it’s phenomenal what Prema and
Shwartzman have done, it’s an incredible story. As for us, we’re right
there. We’ve had a quick car all month, and we’re going to continue to
have it in the race. We’re going to keep working on that and see what we
can make happen.”
David Malukas, No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet / A.J. Foyt
Enterprises
* Sunday Qualifying Rank: 7th
* Four Lap Average: 231.599mph
* Quote: “It was a very easy run. The easiest out of all of the
qualifying runs that we’ve had to do. We just played it too safe on
the downforce level. With this track temp coming up we were kind of
debating how things were going to be. We should have probably taken more
risk. We need one of these guys to drop out to make the (Firestone) Fast
Six, but it was very good run for the guys.”
Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet / Arrow McLaren
* Sunday Qualifying Rank: 8th
* Four Lap Average: 231.360mph
* Quote: “That was a pretty good day. We went out to the Top 12 run
not knowing what to expect with the balance, and we ended up a lot more
pushy than we were this morning. We wanted to give Pato some of that
information for his run, and he made it through to the Firestone Fast 6.
Congrats to the No. 5 team. At the end of the day, the No. 7 VELO Arrow
McLaren Chevrolet will start eighth, which is a lot better than I’ve
previously done here. A lot of good to come.”
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet / Team Penske
Fast 12
* Rank: 10th
* Four Lap Average: DNQ after practice incident
* Quote: “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just really, really, really,
really sorry for everybody at Team Penske and the guys on the (No.) 3
car, and everybody on the 2, 12 and everyone who builds these cars. It
was talking to me and I sort of felt it and I should have backed out.
But, you know you are trying to complete a run to see what it feels
like, and was it worth the risk. It probably wasn’t. I’m incredibly
sad. (Watches the crash) You just try and brace yourself and hope you
don’t go in the catch fence. I’m very grateful to INDYCAR for the
safety. My team and the SAFER Barriers kept me safe.”
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet / Team
Penske
* Sunday Qualifying Rank: 11th
* Four Lap Average: DNQ
* Quote:
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet / Team Penske
* Sunday Qualifying Rank: DNQ
* Four Lap Average: Car 12 failed pre-qualifying technical inspection
* Quote:
Pato O’Ward
Robert Shwartzman
Press Conference
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.
THE MODERATOR:
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.