Gil de Ferran is dead: The North American motorsport legend, most recently an advisor to the McLaren team in Formula 1, died at the racetrack on Friday
The McLaren team is wearing mourning at the end of 2023: Gil de Ferran, Sports Director from July 2018 to 2021 and most recently advisor to the British racing team in Formula 1 since May 2023, has died unexpectedly
De Ferran took part in a private driving event on Friday at a racetrack called The Concours Club in Opa-locka, Florida, together with his son Luke. The Brazilian then suddenly felt unwell, parked his car and suffered a heart attack, according to reports including the Associated Press news agency. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “shocked and devastated” to learn of the 56-year-old’s loss: “I raced with Gil all over the world and saw him win some of the greatest races. He was a great friend for over 20 years and will be greatly missed and never forgotten.”
According to McLaren condolences, de Ferran “was an important and integral part of our race team. He was a formidable force on and off the track and left a lasting impression on all who raced and worked with him. He will be missed by everyone at McLaren Racing. “
As a teenager, De Ferran dreamed of one day becoming a professional racing driver and Formula 1 world champion like Emerson Fittipaldi. In 1991, he finished third in the British Formula 3 Championship, beaten only by his compatriot Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard, who would both go on to enjoy successful Formula 1 careers.
In 1992, de Ferran became champion himself, for Jackie Stewart’s son Paul’s team, and finished fourth and third in 1993 and 1994 in what was then the Formula 3000 Championship, a forerunner of today’s Formula 2. However, tests with Williams and Arrows, among others, did not result in a contract, so he moved to North America at the end of 1994.
There, de Ferran rose to become one of the stars of the US motorsport scene, was crowned CART champion in 2000 and 2001 and celebrated probably his greatest success in the last year of his active career in the top league, 2003, when he won the 500 miles of Indianapolis at his fourth attempt. After that, he drove endurance races.
In 2005, he returned to Europe, initially as sports director of the then BAR team. Not least because of his close links with Honda, BAR’s partner at the time, for whom de Ferran initiated the takeover of the racing team based in Brackley, which now competes as the Mercedes works team.
At McLaren, de Ferran did not concentrate exclusively on Formula 1, but was ultimately available to the company as a consultant for all motorsport commitments. It is obvious that he has particular expertise in the IndyCar sector. In 2019, when Fernando Alonso unsuccessfully tried to qualify for the Indy 500, de Ferran was McLaren’s Sports Director.
De Ferran was 56 years old. He is survived by his wife Angela, a daughter (Anna) and a son (Luke). Daughter Anna started a career as a DJ and most recently also worked in the Formula 1 environment. At the 2023 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, she DJed as part of the pre-race show
