"This is so little for the guidance you gave me" - Scott McLaughlin reacts to IndyCar rival's heartfelt message about his ‘very special gift’

Scott McLaughlin presented fellow IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud with a gift for helping him out with the Indy 500. The New Zealander joined the IndyCar series in 2020 and has struggled at the speedway ever since. He reached out to 2019 Indy 500 winner Pagenaud for help, who recently posted about the gift McLaughlin gave him for helping him.

Simon Pagenaud uploaded a tweet on social media platform X with a picture of himself and Scott McLaughlin. The Team Penske driver gifted the Frenchman his Indy 500 helmet with a thank you note written on the visor. The note included a thank you as McLaughlin thanked his “lucky stars” for crossing paths with Pagenaud. It further suggested that the training helped the New Zealander to become a “better and confident” driver and that the 2024 Indy 500 pole position was all because of the Frenchman.

Pagenaud’s caption for the tweet read,

“It’s hard to find the words! A very special gift from a very special man!! Thank you allowing me to witness your talent and be a small part of your journey!”

Scott McLaughlin quoted the tweet, reshared on X as his caption read,

“This is so little for the guidance you gave me in 2024 particularly at Indy and then continue to give me for the future. Love ya bro.”

Scott McLaughlin had never qualified or finished an Indy 500 race higher than P14 before the 2024 season. The New Zealander also never led a single lap at the prestigious race. However, with the help of Simon Pagenaud, who shared tips and notes with the Penske driver, McLaughlin for the pole position for the 2024 Indy 500.

The 32-year-old led the most laps at the 2024 Indy 500 (66 laps). Although McLaughlin failed to convert his pole position into a win, he still finished his career-best P6 in the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Simon Pagenaud reveals how he helped Scott McLaughlin for the 2024 Indy 500

Scott McLaughlin and Simon Pagenaud live close by in North Carolina. The New Zealander took Pagenaud's place at Team Penske for the last race of the 2020 season and onwards. McLaughlin reached out to the Frenchman for help, as Pagenaud had previously won the Indy 500 with Team Penske. Speaking to NBC's Peacock Broadcast in May this year, the 40-year-old detailed how he helped McLaughlin (as quoted by Indycar):

The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

““First of all, Scott doesn’t need that much advice, he’s a true champion,” Pagenaud said. “But like every champion he’s always trying to find the little edge, a little more.”

He continued, “When he asked me if I could help, I kindly wanted to do it because working with someone like him who really wants to get better, that’s exciting. I did open all my books to him – a lot of books, a lot of writing – and I just tried to walk him through the process of how everything goes and how much you have to crank it up every day without making a mistake or cranking it up too much.”

Scott McLaughlin ended the 2024 IndyCar season in 3rd position, 39 points away from the championship winner Alex Palou.