Gil de Ferran, the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500, the 2000 and 2001 CART champion and the holder of the fastest close-coursed lap in history —241.428 mph set in 2000 at California Speedway in Fontana — has passed away. The reported cause of his death is a heart attack he suffered while attending an automotive event in Florida on Dec. 29, 2023. He was 56.
Devastating motorsports news: Gil de Ferran, Indy 500 winner and Brazilian icon, dies at 56 (from @AP) https://t.co/8X8r8FVxoG
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) December 30, 2023
Growing up in Brazil, the French-born de Ferran hoped to follow his childhood idols, Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna, into Formula 1. He earned the British Formula 3 championship in 1992 and contested Formula 3000, the series below Formula 1, but an opportunity to test an IndyCar in 1994 and with no good prospects in F1 available, de Ferran came to the United States to compete in the CART Series beginning in 1995. Driving for Hall/VDS Racing, de Ferran claimed Rookie of the Year honors and won the last race of the 1995 season at Laguna Seca. He won again for Hall/VDS a season later at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland before moving to Walker Racing to begin the 1997 campaign. He would remain at Walker through the 1999 season before spearheading Team Penske's renaissance in Indy-style racing in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League from 2000 to his retirement in 2003.
We remember Gil de Ferran. pic.twitter.com/DDmcBgIj3Z
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) December 30, 2023
While his IndyCar career had finished, de Ferran wasn't done driving. In the middle of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season, de Ferran teamed with Simon Pagenaud, and sometimes Scott Dixon, as the owner/driver of the de Ferran Motorsports Honda Acura ARX-01B. Contesting the full season in 2009 with Honda Acura, de Ferran and Pagenaud came one spot short of the LMP1 Class championship. Economic difficulties shuttered the team after the 2009 season. de Ferran would race professionally one final time in the 2011 Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercars race before permanently calling it quits on a stellar driving career.
My dear friend Gil, I have so many things to say yet nothing can explain the pain of losing you! I will miss you in my moments of joy, and my moments of doubts, and all the moments in between. You have been my model in life and it feels really empty right here right now. pic.twitter.com/oNY5HYUc58
— Simon Pagenaud (@simonpagenaud) December 30, 2023
Nicknamed "The Professor," de Ferran was known around the paddock for his technical expertise, calculating driving style and killer instinct that allowed him to win 11 races and two championships across his CART, Champ Car and Indy Racing League career. de Ferran parlayed these cerebral qualities into a post-driving career that saw him serve in a variety of advisory or managerial roles for Honda and McLaren in F1 and co-own de Ferran Dragon Racing with Jay Penske and Steve Luczo in 2010 and 2011.
As news of de Ferran's passing began circulating, the racing world took to social media to honor not only a fierce competitor but also someone who was universally known for his compassion, grace and self-deprecating sense of humor. Gil de Ferran is survived by his wife, Angela, and his children, Anna and Luke, as well as countless fond memories of the gentleman racer he was from competitors and race fans alike. Race in Peace, Professor.
