Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA
Obituary

Eric Boullier tribute to Francois Guiter

On behalf of all at McLaren, Racing Director Eric Boullier pay tribute to Francois Guiter died on this weekend.

Alain Prost

Alain Prost

Jean-Philippe Legrand

Moving to 2nd place, François Cévert, Tyrrell 002
Patrick Depailler
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Patrick Depailler, Alfa Romeo T179
Patrick Tambay

Eric Boullier (Racing Director, McLaren) said:

"On behalf of all at McLaren, I want to pay tribute to Francois Guiter, one of the greatest Frenchmen in the history of Formula 1, who sadly died at the weekend at the age of 86.

"Via his stewardship of the involvement in Formula 1 of the French petrochemicals corporation Elf from 1967 until 1989, Guiter achieved far more than the traditional remit of a marketing manager, which was his initial job title.

"In fact, it would be fair to say that he was the prime mover behind the nurturing of a number of young French racing drivers of that era, ushering most if not all of them into Formula 1, and ensuring that they won grands prix by the dozen in the 1970s and 1980s.

"I am referring to guys such as Francois Cevert, Patrick Depailler, Jacques Laffite, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Rene Arnoux, Patrick Tambay and of course Alain Prost, who became France's first world champion in 1985, and then repeated the feat in 1986, 1989 and 1993, all bar the last of those four triumphs achieved with McLaren, incidentally.

"I did not know Francois Guiter well - he had retired before I started work in motorsport - but I have admired him all my life. Truly, he was a motorsport legend, and today all at McLaren join me in paying him tribute, and in offering condolences to his family, his friends, and the French motorsport community in general.

"May he rest in peace."

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Mercedes to quit if F1 revives V8 engines - Lauda
Next article Ferrari making progress, says happy Raikkonen

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA