Thierry Boutsen
| |
| Thierry Boutsen | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Years | 1983-1993 |
| Team(s) | Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan |
| Races | 164 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Podiums | 15 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First race | 1983 Belgian Grand Prix |
| First win | 1989 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1993 Belgian Grand Prix |
Thierry Boutsen (born July 13 1957 in Brussels, Belgium) was a Formula One driver who raced for the Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan teams. In 1977 entered the Formula Ford 1600 championship and won it in 1978 with 15 victories in 18 races. For 1979 he moved to Formula 3, winning three races in 1980 and second place in the title, behind Michele Alboreto. In 1981 he moved to Formula 2 and was again second in the championship, this time behind Geoff Lees. In 1983 he drove in the European Touring Car Championship and in the World Sportscar races, where he won at Monza with Bob Wollek. In 1983 he bought for $500,000 a Formula 1 cockpit for his debut with Arrows at the 1983 Belgian Grand Prix but his real opportunity came when he drove for Benetton in 1987. In 1989 Frank Williams signed him for a two-year contract in which he won the rain-soaked 1989 Canadian Grand Prix and Australian Grand Prix. In 1990 he got a victory in the Hungarian GP over his friend Ayrton Senna's McLaren-Honda. In 1991 he moved to Ligier and from there to Jordan in 1993, after which he retired from Formula 1. After a crash at Le Mans in 1999 he retired from racing altogether.
Today Thierry Boutsen runs his own company, Boutsen Aviation, in Monaco.