Gil de Ferran passed away this Friday. The former driver was 56 years old, standing out in the United States of America, although he was also involved in Formula 1 after “hanging up his helmet”.
According to the official IndyCar Series website, the Brazilian died ‘suddenly after a brief illness’ while in Florida. The Brazilian press details that he was driving a car at a club, accompanied by his son, when he suffered a fatal heart attack.
One of the highlights of de Ferran’s career dates back to 2003 when he won the Indianapolis 500. He was also a two-time champion of the IndyCar Series – in 2000 and 2001, still in the days of CART. Later, he competed in the American Le Mans Series, where he was the runner-up in 2009. Afterwards, he ended his career as a driver.
However, he remained connected to motorsport in various roles, having co-owned an IndyCar Series team until 2011. Between 2018 and 2021, he was the sporting director of McLaren in Formula 1, and last May he returned to the Woking structure as a consultant and advisor.
To Gil de Ferran’s grieving family and friends, AutoGear expresses heartfelt condolences.
