Solid character, solid results - Thierry Boutsen
- The History of Formula 1
- Nov 5, 2017
- 1 min read
Thierry Boutsen Born: 13th July 1957, Brussels, Belgium Grand Prix starts: 164 Grand Prix victories: 3 Points total: 132
Thierry Boutsen made a name for himself in 1978 when he won 15 of 18 races in the Formula Ford 1600 championship. A move to Formula Three soon followed and he came second in the 1980 championship, a position he equalled in Formula Two in 1981.
Despite these early successes, he wasn't hired on talent alone and could only make it onto the grid for the 1983 Formula One season by paying $500,000 for a drive with Arrows. After impressing with his outright speed and reliability, he was signed by Benetton in 1987 and Williams in 1989. In his first year driving for Sir Frank Williams, he won both the Canadian and the Australian Grands Prix. The following year he won the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Boutsen finished his career with Ligier then Jordan before retiring at the end of the 1993 season. He raced sportscars until a bad crash at Le Mans in 1999 saw him step down from top-flight motorsport.
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