2003 Indianapolis 500 winner, Gil de FerranHe died on Friday at the age of 56 while competing with his son, V Concourse Club In Florida.

Gil de Ferran had died of a heart attack

According to News agencyThe Brazilian motorsport legend had a heart attack while competing with his son at a track in Florida.

De Ferran began his career in motorsport in British Formula 3Where he lost the title in 1991 to Rubens Barrichello And David CoulthardHowever, he took revenge the following year and was crowned.

His greatest success would come in the United States, where he had a brilliant career. He won two titles in a row shopping cart In the years 2000 and 2001; A total of 12 victories between IndyCar and CART in a career that spanned from 1995 to 2003.

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His greatest success was the Indianapolis 500.

His most important victory came in 2003 when he won a championship Indianapolis 500 Workout for Roger Penskedefeating his colleague Helio Castroneves At the finish line. This was his fourth and final participation in the 500 meter race.

His racing career included a stint at what was then known as American Le Mans Series, winning five of the ten races contested in 2009 with his Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-01b team. They finished the year in second place in the championship.

De Ferran also holds the average speed record on a closed circuit in history: 386 km/h in it California Highway In October 2000.

He also worked as the team's sports director BAR-Honda Formula 1 from 2005 to 2007. He would later play a similar role at McLaren from 2018 to 2021, later becoming a consultant to the team.

Arrow McLaren We bid farewell to Gil de Ferran with an emotional message: “Everyone at McLaren Racing is shocked and deeply saddened to learn that we have lost a cherished member of the McLaren family. We send our deepest condolences to Gil’s family, friends and loved ones.” De Ferran.

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“Gale was an important and integral part of our racing team. He was a tremendous force on and off the track and left a lasting impact on everyone who raced and worked alongside him. We will miss him at McLaren Racing.”