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Gil de Ferran, the 2003 Indianapolis 500 champion, has died at 56

evan frank and nathan brown, indianapolis star
·10 min read

Gil de Ferran, the 2003 Indianapolis 500 champion, has died. McLaren's Formula One team, where the racing legend was presently working in an advisory role, confirmed the news. de Ferran was 56.

In a statement, the Brazilian Automobile Confederation confirmed that de Ferran, a French-born Brazilian, suffered a heart attack while at a private motorsport club in Opa Locka, Florida, Friday. According to the CBA, de Ferran was taken to a hospital but did not survive.

"On behalf of myself and the entire CBA family, we pray to God to receive our brother with all the glories and support his family, friends and millions of fans around the world," said Giovanni Guerra, the CBA president, in a translated statement.

de Ferran won the 2000 and 2001 Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) titles, as well as the 1992 British Formula Three championship. After finishing runner-up to his Penske teammate and fellow countryman Helio Castroneves in the 2001 Indianapolis 500, de Ferran hoisted the Borg-Warner Trophy in 2003 in what would be his final start in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

"Gil defined class as a driver and as a gentleman. As an IndyCar champion and an Indianapolis 500 winner, Gil accomplished so much during his career, both on and off the track," Roger Penske said in a statement Friday night. “Gil was beloved by so many. He was a great friend to the Team Penske and IndyCar family, as well as the entire international motorsports community. Gil’s passing is a terrible loss, and he will be deeply missed.”

In 2000 while racing at the California Speedway, de Ferran set both the track record and closed course record for fastest lap at 241.428 mph. It marked the fastest closed-circuit qualifying lap speed ever recorded.

de Ferran opted to retire from the pinnacle of American open-wheel racing at just 35 years old at the end of the 2003 Indy Racing League season, a campaign in which he won the finale at Texas Motor Speedway and took runner-up in the championship to Scott Dixon.

The French-born Brazilian would return to the cockpit in 2008 for a pair of campaigns in the American Le Mans series while racing for his eponymous de Ferran Motorsports team. He and teammate Simon Pagenaud would go on to win five of 10 races in 2009 and take runner-up in the championship.

"All of us at Honda and HRC are deeply saddened by Gil de Ferran's sudden passing," HRC US president David Salters said in a statement Friday. de Ferran's pair of CART titles came with Honda engines, and his team ran an Acura in de Ferran Motorsports' two seasons in ALMS. "Gil was a big part of the Honda racing family and CART heritage, (and) he held a special place in all of our hearts.

"Listening to him recount his closed-course record run at Fontana raised the hair on the back of my neck and does once again now. (He was) an extremely talented man and brilliant racer."

Out of the cockpit, de Ferran worked as the sporting director for BAR-Honda in F1 from 2005-07 before launching his ALMS team as a driver-owner. After retiring from the cockpit for a final time, he took de Ferran Motorsport to IndyCar, merging with Luczo Dragon Racing (a team launched by Roger Penske's son Jay Penske and Steve Luczo) for the start of the 2010 campaign. de Ferran Dragon Racing would run a full-season entry for Brazilian Raphael Matos, along with a couple races for Davey Hamilton. Matos finished 14th in points in a season that began with a 4th-place finish in Sao Paulo.

The team rebranded in 2012 as Dragon Racing after a split with de Ferran's program.

Since, the racing legend had served as McLaren F1's sporting director from 2018-21 and had returned earlier this year as an advisor.

On Friday night, the team said it was "shocked and deeply saddened" to learn of de Ferran's death.

"We send our deepest condolences to Gil de Ferran's family, friends and loved ones," McLaren Racing stated on X. "Gil was an important and integral part of our Racing team. He was a formidable force on and off track and made a lasting impact on everyone racing and working alongside him. He will be missed by everyone at McLaren Racing."

de Ferran is survived by his wife, Angela, and the pair's children, Anna and Luke.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 2003 Indy 500 champion Gil de Ferran dies at 56