Gil de Ferran
| Gil de Ferran | |
|---|---|
de Ferran at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in March 2011.
|
|
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Born |
November 11, 1967 Paris, France |
| IRL IndyCar Series | |
| Years active | 2001–2003 |
| Teams | Penske Racing |
| Starts | 31 |
| Wins | 5 |
| Poles | 5 |
| Best finish | 2nd in 2003 |
| CART Championship Car | |
| Years active | 1995–2001 |
| Teams |
Hall Racing Walker Racing Penske Racing |
| Starts | 129 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Poles | 16 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2000 & 2001 |
| Previous series | |
| 1993-1994 1991-1992 |
Formula 3000 British Formula Three |
| Championship titles | |
| 2000, 2001 1992 |
CART World Series Champion British Formula Three Champion |
| Awards | |
| 2003 | Indianapolis 500 winner |
Gil de Ferran (born November 11, 1967 in Paris, France) is a French-born Brazilian professional racing driver and team owner. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car champion driving for the Penske Honda Team and the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500.
Inspired by the success of fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, de Ferran began his career in kart racing in the early 1980s. He graduated to Formula Ford level in 1987 and Formula Three in 1991. Driving for Edenbridge Racing, De Ferran finished the 1991 British Formula Three season in third, only behind Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard. For the 1992 season, De Ferran moved to Paul Stewart Racing and won the title, scoring seven wins in the process.
1993 and 1994 were spent driving for Paul Stewart Racing in International Formula 3000. De Ferran finished fourth in the series in 1993 and then took the championship down to the wire in 1994, ultimately finishing third. In 1993, De Ferran tested for a day the Footwork Arrows Formula One team along with Dutch racer Jos Verstappen. His day was seriously compromised after he bumped his head while walking nearby the motorhome. His times also compared poorly to Verstappen's.
At the end of 1994, de Ferran was invited to test a CART by Hall/VDS Racing. Despite the worries of the team's sponsor Pennzoil that de Ferran was not famous enough name for their car, the team was sufficiently impressed to offer de Ferran a drive for 1995. With no top-line Formula One drive available de Ferran took up the offer to drive in America.
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