About Gil de Ferran
Gil de Ferran (11 November 1967 – 29 December 2023) was a Brazilian professional racing driver and team owner. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car champion driving for Team Penske and the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500. He also finished runner-up in the American Le Mans Series LMP1 class in 2009, with his own de Ferran Motorsports. == Early career == Inspired by the success of fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, de Ferran began his career in kart racing in the 1980s. He won the Formula Ford championship in Brazil in 1987, and started racing in the Formula Three class in 1991. Driving for Edenbridge Racing, de Ferran finished the 1991 British Formula Three season in third, only behind Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard. For the 1992 season, de Ferran moved to Paul Stewart Racing and won the title, scoring seven wins in the process. In 1993 and 1994, de Ferran drove for Paul Stewart Racing in the International Formula 3000. De Ferran finished fifth in the series in 1993 and then took the championship down to the wire in 1994, ultimately finishing third. In 1993, de Ferran tested for the Footwork Arrows Formula One team along with Dutch racer Jos Verstappen.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.