Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
Gil De Ferran is a cherished former sporting director for McLaren. In Drive To Survive Season 6 Episode 6, he was paid a rich tribute in the title card after his passing on December 29, 2023, at the age of 56.
In order to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the drivers and races of the Formula One World Championship, Netflix and Formula One collaborated to develop the documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. In episode 6 of season 6, McLaren pays tribute to the late Gil De Ferran.
The episode “Leap of Faith” concluded with a tribute title card honoring Gil De Ferran, former McLarenn sporting director who passed away last year after suffering a gruesome heart attack while driving at a private event with his son at The Concours Club in Opa-locka. He was taken to a hospital nearby but he couldn’t survive.
From Testing a CART Indycar To Sporting Director For Mclaren: Inspirational journey of Gil De Ferran, remembered on DTS
Gil De Ferran started his career as a CART tester. De Ferran received an invitation from Hall/VDS Racing to test a CART IndyCar in 1994. The team was impressed enough to give de Ferran a drive for 1995, despite the concerns of team sponsor Pennzoil that he was not a well-known enough name for their vehicle. De Ferran accepted the invitation to drive in the United States as there was no top-tier Formula One position available.
De Ferran had an illustrious career winning various Indycar competitions, which helped him get the recognition he needed. After his 2003 Indianapolis win, De Ferran decided to take retirement. But, just 2 years after his retirement De Ferran returned as a sports director for BAR-Honda Formula One team in 2005. He then resigned in 2007 after some problems with the team.
After that De Ferran wasn’t seen much until one day McLaren’s former sporting director, Eric Boullier resigned in 2018, which brought back De Ferran as the new sporting director for McLaren. But later he left the team in early 2021, just to return in 2023 as the consultant advisor amid McLaren’s restructure process.
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Remembering Gil De Ferran: A tribute to loyal and charismatic Mclaren’s director
De Ferran is survived by his partner, Angela De Ferran, and his two children, Ana De Ferran and Luke De Ferran. Over his incredible 20-year career, he won 12 races, including the Indianapolis 500 and two CART titles.
Along with being a successful and innovative team owner and leader, he also started his own team, de Ferran Motorsports, and was instrumental in the development and expansion of McLaren Racing, which competed in both Formula One and IndyCar.
He was active in several charity and educational efforts, and he was a passionate representative of his country Brazil. He died unexpectedly on December 29, 2023, at the age of 56, after a heart attack while racing with his son at The Concourse Club in Florida. His passing surprised and devastated the motorsports industry, but his accomplishments and legacy will endure.
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