| Gil de Ferran | |
|---|---|
 De Ferran in 2011 | |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Born | (1967-11-11)11 November 1967 Paris, France |
| Died | 29 December 2023(2023-12-29) (aged 56) Opa-locka, Florida, U.S. |
| IRLIndyCar Series | |
| Years active | 2001–2003 |
| Teams | Penske Racing |
| Starts | 31 |
| Wins | 5 |
| Poles | 5 |
| Best finish | 2nd in2003 |
| PPG IndyCar World Series/CART FedEx Championship Series | |
| Years active | 1995–2001 |
| Teams | Hall/VDS Racing Walker Racing Penske Racing |
| Starts | 129 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Poles | 16 |
| Best finish | 1st in2000 &2001 |
| Previous series | |
| 1991–1992 1993–1994 | British Formula Three Formula 3000 |
| Championship titles | |
| 1992 2000–2001 2003 | British Formula Three Champion CART World Series Champion Indianapolis 500 winner |
| Awards | |
| 1995 | CART Rookie of the Year |
Gil de Ferran (11 November 1967 – 29 December 2023) was a Brazilian professional racing driver and team owner. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001Champ Car champion driving forTeam Penske and the winner of the2003 Indianapolis 500.[1] He also finished runner-up in theAmerican Le Mans Series LMP1 class in 2009, with his ownde Ferran Motorsports.
Inspired by the success of fellow BrazilianEmerson Fittipaldi,[2] de Ferran began his career inkart racing in the 1980s.[3] He won the Formula Ford championship in Brazil in 1987, and started racing in theFormula Three class in 1991.[4] Driving forEdenbridge Racing, de Ferran finished the1991 British Formula Three season in third, only behindRubens Barrichello andDavid Coulthard.[4][5] For the1992 season, de Ferran moved toPaul Stewart Racing and won the title, scoring seven wins in the process.[5]
In 1993 and 1994, de Ferran drove for Paul Stewart Racing in theInternational Formula 3000.[5] De Ferran finished fifth in the series in 1993 and then took the championship down to the wire in 1994, ultimately finishing third.[6][7] In 1993, de Ferran tested for theFootwork ArrowsFormula One team along with Dutch racerJos Verstappen.[8][9] His day was seriously compromised after he bumped his head while walking near the motorhome, with de Ferran recalling the incident as follows: "I was walking between two of the trucks, looking down thinking, this is not going so well. And I hit my head on a swing-up locker door on the side of the truck. Split my head open, blood everywhere, game over."[9] His times also compared poorly to Verstappen's.[8]
In 1994, de Ferran was invited to test aCART IndyCar byHall/VDS Racing.[10] Despite the worries of the team's sponsorPennzoil that de Ferran was not a famous enough name for their car, the team was sufficiently impressed to offer de Ferran a drive for 1995.[11] With no top-lineFormula One drive available, de Ferran took up the offer to drive in the United States.[12] After dominating theClevelandCART PPG Indy Car World Series race he would be taken out while trying to lapScott Pruett.[13] He would score his first win in the last race of the year atLaguna Seca Raceway.[14] After the win, De Ferran placed 14th in the1995 PPG Indy Car World Series, and won the PPG Indy Car World Series Rookie Of The Year award.[13][14]
In 1996, de Ferran was a consistent challenger but only scored one win, at Cleveland'sBurke Lakefront Airport street circuit, avenging the previous season's loss at the same race.[13][15] This win was also the last for veteran car owner and driverJim Hall who retired from the sport at the end of 1996.[16] Hall's retirement also spelled the end of the Jim Hall owned Pennzoil/VDS IndyCar team.[5] Despite rumours that he would be a driver for the newStewart Grand Prix Formula One team, de Ferran remained in the U.S. for 1997, joiningWalker Racing.[5] De Ferran finished 1997 as runner-up toAlex Zanardi with twelve top-ten finishes but failed to score a single victory.[17][18] He looked on course to win the season opener atHomestead-Miami Speedway but was knocked out of the lead byDennis Vitolo, who was a lap down from de Ferran.[19] At theGrand Prix of Portland he lost out toPacWest Racing'sMark Blundell in the closest finish in CART history.[20] The expected championship challenge never materialized in 1998. Unreliability, driver errors and the inferior performance of theGoodyear tires compared to the superiorFirestone tires all combined to leave de Ferran 12th in the standings, again with no wins on the year.[21][22]
In 1999, the long-awaited breakthrough finally came as de Ferran beatJuan Pablo Montoya atPortland International Raceway to take his first win since 1996 and theWalker Racing team's first since early 1995.[citation needed] However, after that victory, both Goodyear andValvoline left CART as major sponsors and suppliers.[23][24] Toward the end of that season, de Ferran andGreg Moore were signed toMarlboro Team Penske to replaceAl Unser Jr.[25] However, Moore was killed in a crash during the season finale atCalifornia Speedway and de Ferran's fellow countrymanHélio Castroneves was announced as the replacement for Moore shortly afterwards.[26]
On 28 October 2000, during CART qualifying atCalifornia Speedway inFontana, de Ferran set both the track record and closed course record for fastest lap at 241.428 mph (388.541 km/h).[27] As of December 2022, this stands as the fastest qualifying lap speed ever recorded at an official race meeting.[28] He would follow the record speed by winning the series championship at Fontana on 30 October (The season finale started on 29 October but was forced to finish on 30 October due to rain).[29]
With Team Penske, de Ferran won twoCART titles and an Indy 500 victory.[30] His analytical approach earned him comparisons with Penske's first driver,Mark Donohue.[9] In 2003, de Ferran was injured during a race atPhoenix, suffering a broken back.[31] Despite the injury, de Ferran passed his teammate, Castroneves with 31 laps left to win the2003 Indianapolis 500.[32] It also was the second 1–2 finish for Penske Racing in the Indianapolis 500.[33][34]
Following his Indianapolis triumph de Ferran decided to retire at the end of 2003.[35] He won his final race atTexas Motor Speedway,[36] although the moment was soured by a crash during the race that left fellow Indy 500 winner andRahal-Letterman Racing driverKenny Bräck seriously injured.[37] De Ferran would finish second in the championship standings, runner-up to Scott Dixon.[36]
In July 2013,Autosport magazine named de Ferran one of the 50 greatest drivers to have never raced in Formula One.[38][11]
In 2005, he moved to theBAR-Honda Formula One team as their Sports Director.[39] He resigned from this position in July 2007 after becoming "increasingly uncomfortable" with the team.[40] In July 2018, de Ferran was made sporting director forMcLaren followingEric Boullier's resignation.[41] He left the team in early 2021.[42] In May 2023, McLaren had brought back de Ferran in a consultant advisory role as part of their restructure process.[43]
On 29 January 2008, de Ferran announced that he would return to the cockpit and field a factory-backed LMP2 classAcura ARX-01b prototype in theAmerican Le Mans Series, under the team namede Ferran Motorsports.[44] The team began competing around the mid-way point of the 2008 season, with de Ferran running the team and sharing driving duties withSimon Pagenaud.[45] In its debut season, de Ferran Motorsports took four front row grid positions, led six races and scored three podium finishes in just eight starts.[46] In 2009, de Ferran Motorsports was chosen by Honda to develop the Acura ARX-02a for competition in the LMP1 division of the American Le Mans Series.[47][48] The team scored five outright wins, seven poles, and finished runners up in the ALMS LMP1 class.[49][50]
In August 2009, de Ferran announced his retirement at the end of the racing season, expressing his intention to concentrate all his resources on expanding his team, making public his desire to return to IndyCar racing as a front running team owner.[51][52] Prior to the start of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar season, de Ferran merged his team with Luczo Dragon Racing, a team started byJay Penske, the son of de Ferran's former bossRoger Penske, andSteve Luczo, a successful technology leader and racing enthusiast.[53] The new team was named de Ferran Dragon Racing and was the realization of de Ferran's ambition to return to IndyCar.[54][55] De Ferran Dragon Racing, with driverRaphael Matos, earned four Top Ten finishes in its debut campaign and finished seventeenth in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.[9][56] In 2010, IndyCar also began planning for a completely new car concept, to debut during the 2012 season.[57] De Ferran was part of the ICONIC committee in the development of the future IndyCar.[58] In 2011 de Ferran Dragon racing closed its doors after lacking sponsorships, having attempted to stay operational for the new season.[59]
De Ferran was born on 11 November 1967 in Paris, France.[60] He lived inFort Lauderdale, Florida, with his English wife Angela (who worked forPaul Stewart Racing)[61] and their two children.[5]
De Ferran died on 29 December 2023, at age 56. He suffered a heart attack while driving at a private event with his son at The Concours Club inOpa-locka, Florida.[30][62]
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Edenbridge Racing | Mugen-Honda | SIL 8 | THR | DON 7 | BRH 5 | BRH 1 | THR 8 | SIL 7 | DON 2 | SIL 1 | SIL 1 | SNE 5 | SIL 2 | BRH 2 | DON 5 | SIL 6 | THR 11 | 3rd | 54 | [citation needed] |
| 1992 | Paul Stewart Racing | Mugen-Honda | DON 3 | SIL 1 | THR 1 | BRH 2 | THR 2 | BRH 2 | SIL 1 | SIL 2 | DON 1 | SNE 5 | SIL Ret | PEM 1 | SIL 2 | DON 3 | THR 1 | SIL 1 | 1st | 102 | [citation needed] |
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | DC | Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Paul Stewart Racing | DON Ret | SIL 1 | PAU Ret | PER Ret | HOC 9† | NÜR 2 | SPA 2 | MAG Ret | NOG 7 | 4th | 21 | ||
| 1994 | Paul Stewart Racing | SIL 3 | PAU 1 | CAT Ret | PER 1 | HOC 3 | SPA 5 | EST Ret | MAG Ret | 3rd | 28 | |||
(key)
| Year | Team | No. | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Hall/VDS Racing | 8 | Reynard 95i | Mercedes-Benz IC108BV8t | MIA 25 | SRF 16 | PHX 11 | LBH 27 | NZR 19 | INDY 29 | MIL 8 | DET 16 | POR 10 | ROA 21 | TOR 16 | CLE 14 | MIS 12 | MDO 24 | NHM 7 | VAN 2 | LS 1 | 14th | 56 | [65] | ||||
| 1996 | Hall/VDS Racing | Reynard 96i | Honda HRHV8t | MIA 2 | RIO 10 | SRF 11 | LBH 5 | NZR 23 | MIS1 9 | MIL 9 | DET 3 | POR 2 | CLE 1 | TOR 18 | MIS2 19 | MDO 17 | ROA 25 | VAN 4 | LS 25 | 6th | 104 | [66] | ||||||
| 1997 | Walker Racing | 5 | Reynard 97i | Honda HRRV8t | MIA 22 | SRF 5 | LBH 21 | NZR 4 | RIO 11 | STL 3 | MIL 7 | DET 3 | POR 2 | CLE 2 | TOR 25 | MIS 3 | MDO 6 | ROA 3 | VAN 3 | LS 5 | FON 6 | 2nd | 162 | [17] | ||||
| 1998 | Walker Racing | Reynard 98i | Honda HRKV8t | MIA 7 | MOT 3 | LBH 20 | NZR 4 | RIO 26 | STL 6 | MIL 22 | DET 3 | POR 20 | CLE 6 | TOR 27 | MIS 16 | MDO 9 | ROA 16 | VAN 13 | LS 19 | HOU 21 | SRF 14 | FON 17 | 12th | 67 | [67] | |||
| 1999 | Walker Racing | Reynard 99i | Honda HRSV8t | MIA 6 | MOT 2 | LBH 6 | NZR 15 | RIO 10 | STL 25 | MIL 3 | POR 1 | CLE 2 | ROA 14 | TOR 19 | MIS 24 | DET 22 | MDO 6 | CHI 13 | VAN 26 | LS 6 | HOU 17 | SRF 27 | FON 9 | 8th | 108 | [68] | ||
| 2000 | Penske Racing | 2 | Reynard 2Ki | Honda HR-0V8t | MIA 6 | LBH 7 | RIO 17 | MOT 9 | NZR 1 | MIL 12 | DET 9 | POR 1 | CLE 14 | TOR 6 | MIS 18 | CHI 3 | MDO 2 | ROA 25 | VAN 5 | LS 2 | STL 8 | HOU 3 | SRF 23 | FON 3 | 1st | 168 | [69] | |
| 2001 | Penske Racing | 1 | Reynard 01i | Honda HR-1V8t | MTY 2 | LBH 3 | TXS NH | NZR 23 | MOT 13 | MIL 7 | DET 6 | POR 13 | CLE 4 | TOR 14 | MIS 24 | CHI 3 | MDO 2 | ROA 5 | VAN 2 | LAU 8 | ROC 1 | HOU 1 | LS 3 | SRF 4 | FON 6 | 1st | 199 | [70] |
| Year | Team | Chassis | No. | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Team Penske | Dallara IR-01 | 66 | OldsmobileAuroraV8 | PHX 24 | HMS | ATL | INDY 2 | TXS | PPIR | RIR | KAN | NSH | KTY | STL | CHI | TX2 | 28th | 46 | [71] | |||
| 2002 | MarlboroTeam Penske | Dallara IR-02 | 6 | Chevrolet IndyV8 | HMS 2 | PHX 2 | FON 4 | NZR 3 | INDY 10 | TXS 16 | PPIR 1 | RIR 2 | KAN 5 | NSH 2 | MIS 5 | KTY 21 | STL 1 | CHI 23 | TX2 INJ | 3rd | 443 | [72] | |
| 2003 | Penske Racing | Dallara IR-03 | Toyota IndyV8 | HMS 2 | PHX 14 | MOT INJ | PPIR 3 | RIR 3 | KAN 3 | NSH 1 | MIS 7 | STL 3 | KTY 9 | NZR 4 | CHI 12 | TX2 1 | 2nd | 489 | [73] | ||||
| G-Force GF09 | INDY 1 | TXS 8 | FON 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Reynard 95i | Mercedes-Benz IC108BV8t | 19 | 29 | Hall/VDS Racing |
| 2001 | Dallara IR-01 | OldsmobileAuroraV8 | 5 | 2 | Penske Racing |
| 2002 | Dallara IR-02 | Chevrolet IndyV8 | 14 | 10 | Penske Racing |
| 2003 | G-Force GF09 | Toyota IndyV8 | 10 | 1 | Penske Racing |
Source:[74] | |||||
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Hall/VDS Racing | 1 | 56 | 14th |
| 1996 | Hall/VDS Racing | 1 | 104 | 6th |
| 1997 | Walker Racing | 0 | 162 | 2nd |
| 1998 | Walker Racing | 0 | 67 | 12th |
| 1999 | Walker Racing | 1 | 108 | 8th |
| 2000 | Penske Racing | 2 | 168 | 1st |
| 2001 | Penske Racing | 2 | 199 | 1st |
Source:[64] | ||||
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Penske Racing | 0 | 46 | 28th |
| 2002 | Penske Racing | 2 | 443 | 3rd |
| 2003 | Penske Racing | 3 | 489 | 2nd |
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | de Ferran Motorsports | LMP2 | Acura ARX-01b | Acura 3.4L V8 | M | SEB | STP | LNB | UTA 3 | LIM 14/7 | MID Ret | AME 18/8 | MOS 7/5 | DET 3 | PET 8/5 | MON 4/2 | 9th | 85 | [75] |
| 2009 | de Ferran Motorsports | LMP1 | Acura ARX-02a | Acura 4.0L V8 | M | SEB Ret | STP Ret | LNB 1 | UTA 1 | LIM 1 | MID 1 | AME 2 | MOS 2 | PET 24/7 | MON 1 | 2nd | 162 | [76] |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | British Formula Three Champion 1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | CART Rookie of the Year 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | CART Series Champion 2000–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Indianapolis 500 Winner 2003 | Succeeded by |
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