The team of four drivers, completed by British-Swedish Tom Blomqvist and American Colin Braun, overtook, like last year, the Acura of the Wayne Taylor Racing team, with American Ricky Taylor at the wheel, Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque, Swiss Louis Deletraz and New Zealander Brendon Hartley.
Starting from pole position, the Meyer Shank Racing N.60 has never been worried in this race, winning for the third time after 2012 and 2022.
The Cadillac of another Frenchman, Sébastien Bourdais, New Zealander Scott Dixon and Dutchman Roger Van der Zande completed the podium.
This victory launches the year on a good footing for Pagenaud, who will play his second IndyCar season with MSR, after a first with hardly convincing results.
Previously, the 38-year-old driver had collected laurels at Penske, winner of the Indianapolis 500 Miles in 2019 and the championship in 2016.
Finally, Romain Grosjean (Lamborghini), who competed in the GTD Pro category, finished 4th, for his first participation in an endurance race for more than ten years.
The Frenchman, defector from Formula 1 after his serious accident in Bahrain in 2020, will start his second season in IndyCar, with the Andretti team.
© 2023 AFP