A hugely well-liked and respected driver, De Ferran also enjoyed a successful career in Formula One, working as a sporting director for the BAR/Honda and McLaren teams. “One of the best behind the wheel and all round great guy Gil De Ferran. In the race, he passed his Penske teammate, Hélio Castroneves, with 31 laps remaining for the lead and then hung on for a memorable victory. De Ferran retired the following year and while he came back, forming his own team to successfully compete in sports cars in the American Le Mans series in 2008 and 2009 – winning five races from 10 meetings in the latter – he then hung up the helmet for good to take on management roles, including fielding his own IndyCar team in 2010. “Gil was an important and integral part of our racing team,” McLaren said in a statement.

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