Gil de Ferran meant an awful lot to a great many people in motorsport. The outpouring of shocked tributes following his unexpected passing at the age of 56 were universal in their respect for a racer who possessed all the attributes to be effective as a driver, team boss, sporting director and in driver development. Roger Penske, his boss from 2000 to 2003 in a spell that repositioned his team as the benchmark in US open-wheel racing after a few barren years, perhaps put it best when he described de Ferran as a man who “defined class as a driver and a gentleman”.
Obituary: Indy 500 winner and two-time IndyCar champion Gil de Ferran dies aged 56
