Fernando Alonso mourns the death’ of McLaren legend Gil de Ferran

Former McLaren Formula 1 sporting director Gil de Ferran passed away on the 29th while racing with his son, and the racing world grieved his death.

Fernando Alonso mourns the death’ of McLaren legend Gil de Ferran

Gil de Ferran and Fernando Alonso (Via IMAGO)

Former McLaren sporting director and Honda executive Gil de Ferran passed away on Friday, suffering a heart attack while on track with his son. De Ferran left behind a wife and two children, at the age of 56.

The racing world reacted immediately to the loss of a figure in the motorsport community, taking to social media to mourn the death of de Ferran. Fernando Alonso, who is currently facing a difficult period in F1, mourned de Ferran’s passing on X, recounting moments with the late Brazilian, recalling how de Ferran taught Alonso how to race on oval tracks.

Thank you for the moments we shared, for wholeheartedly teaching me how to race on ovals, and for the countless memories we created together. We will miss you Gil.

Gil de Ferran was a respected racing driver in addition to holding major managerial positions in different sports. De Ferran won the CART Championship in his road to the Indycar Series, where he finished in the top three on two occasions, winning the Indy 500 in 2003.

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F1 legend Mario Andretti mourns death of close friend Gil de Ferran

Gil de Ferran passed away on the 29th of December, succumbing to a heart attack while racing. De Ferran was grieved for by a lot of the racing community, with many significant figures in the motorsports world recalling their relationships with the French-born former racing driver.

Mario Andretti and Gil de Ferran
Mario Andretti and Gil de Ferran

Mario Andretti, former Formula 1 champion and versatile racing driver mourned the death of de Ferran, someone he deemed to be a close friend of his. Both Andretti and de Ferran have won the INDY 500, 34 years apart from each other. Mario Andretti appreciated de Ferran, calling him a wonderful man and a dear friend.

Thinking of him now and savoring every conversation.  He will be missed by so many.  A wonderful man and a dear and loyal friend.
Mario Andretti mourned Gil de Ferran’s death on X.

Mario Andretti is planning an entry back into the world of Formula One that he left many decades ago. Andretti Autosports under his son Michael Andretti is attempting an entry into F1 as the 11th team on the grid.

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