Former Brazilian racing driver Gil de Ferran, winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500, has died of cardiac arrest in Florida, where he was living, the Brazilian Automobile Association (CBA) said Saturday.
The 56-year-old de Ferran, who was born in Paris to a French father and has lived in Brazil since he was four, was also crowned CART champion, an American single-seater formula, in 2000 and 2001.
“Gil suffered a heart attack while at a private automobile club in Opa Locka, Florida. He was transported to an area hospital but did not survive,” the same source said.
De Ferran was also sports director of the Formula 1 team BAR-Honda from 2005 to 2007 and another team, McLaren, from 2018 to 2021.
From 2008 to 2009 he returned to the American Le Mans Series championship, where he won several victories together with Frenchman Simon Pagenaud. He has also been a technical advisor to McLaren since May 2023.