Thierry Boutsen

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Thierry Boutsen
Formula One Career
Nationality Belgium Belgian
Active years 1983-1993
Team(s) Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan
Grands Prix 164
Championships 0
Wins 3
Podium finishes    15
Pole positions 1
Fastest laps 1
First Grand Prix 1983 Belgian Grand Prix
First win 1989 Canadian Grand Prix
Last win 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix 1993 Belgian Grand Prix

Thierry Boutsen (born July 13, 1957 in Brussels, Belgium) is a former 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 race, 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 World Sportscar races, where he won at Monza with Bob Wollek.

In 1983 he paid $500,000 for a drive in Formula One, and made his debut with Arrows at the 1983 Belgian Grand Prix, but a greater opportunity came when he moved to Benetton in 1987. In 1989 Frank Williams signed him on a two-year contract, and he won the rain-soaked Canadian Grand Prix and Australian Grand Prix. In 1990 he scored a victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix over his friend Ayrton Senna's McLaren-Honda. In 1991 he moved to Ligier and from there to replace Ivan Capelli at Jordan in 1993, after which he retired from Formula One. Boutsen briefly drove sports cars in the US, driving for Champion Racing in a Porsche, alongside Bill Adam and Hans Stuck. The trio finished 2nd in class at the Daytona 24 Hours in 1997. After a crash at Le Mans in 1999 he retired from racing altogether.

Today Thierry Boutsen runs his own company, Boutsen Aviation, in Monaco.

[edit] Complete Formula One Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Team WDC Points
1983 Arrows BRA
USAW
FRA
SMR
MON
BEL
Ret
USAE
7
CAN
7
GBR
15
GER
9
AUT
13
DUT
14
ITA
Ret
EUR
11
RSA
9
Arrows - 0
1984 Arrows BRA
6
RSA
12
BEL
Ret
SMR
5
FRA
11
MON
DNQ
CAN
Ret
USAE
Ret
USA
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
AUT
5
DUT
Ret
ITA
10
EUR
9
POR
Ret
Arrows 15th 5
1985 Arrows BRA
11
POR
Ret
SMR
2
MON
9
CAN
9
USA
7
FRA
9
GBR
Ret
GER
4
AUT
8
DUT
Ret
ITA
9
BEL
10
EUR
6
RSA
6
AUS
Ret
Arrows 11th 11
1986 Arrows BRA
Ret
ESP
7
SMR
7
MON
8
BEL
Ret
CAN
Ret
USA
Ret
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
HUN
Ret
AUT
Ret
ITA
7
POR
10
MEX
7
AUS
Ret
Arrows - 0
1987 Benetton BRA
5
SMR
Ret
BEL
Ret
MON
Ret
USA
Ret
FRA
Ret
GBR
7
GER
Ret
HUN
4
AUT
4
ITA
5
POR
14
ESP
16
MEX
Ret
JPN
5
AUS
3
Benetton 8th 16
1988 Benetton BRA
7
SMR
4
MON
8
MEX
8
CAN
3
USA
3
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
6
HUN
3
BEL
DSQ
ITA
6
POR
3
ESP
9
JPN
3
AUS
5
Benetton 4th 27
1989 Williams BRA
Ret
SMR
4
MON
10
MEX
Ret
USA
6
CAN
1
FRA
Ret
GBR
10
GER
Ret
HUN
3
BEL
4
ITA
3
POR
Ret
ESP
Ret
JPN
3
AUS
1
Williams 5th 37
1990 Williams USA
3
BRA
5
SMR
Ret
MON
4
CAN
Ret
MEX
5
FRA
Ret
GBR
2
GER
6
HUN
1
BEL
Ret
ITA
Ret
POR
Ret
ESP
4
JPN
5
AUS
5
Williams 6th 34
1991 Ligier USA
Ret
BRA
10
SMR
7
MON
7
CAN
Ret
MEX
8
FRA
12
GBR
Ret
GER
9
HUN
17
BEL
11
ITA
Ret
POR
16
ESP
Ret
JPN
9
AUS
Ret
Ligier - 0
1992 Ligier RSA
Ret
MEX
10
BRA
Ret
ESP
Ret
SMR
Ret
MON
12
CAN
10
FRA
Ret
GBR
10
GER
7
HUN
Ret
BEL
Ret
ITA
Ret
POR
8
JPN
Ret
AUS
5
Ligier 14th 2
1993 Jordan RSA
BRA
EUR
Ret
SMR
Ret
ESP
11
MON
Ret
CAN
12
FRA
11
GBR
Ret
GER
13
HUN
9
BEL
Ret
ITA
POR
JPN
AUS
Jordan - 0


[edit] External link


Preceded by:
Eric Geboers
Belgian Sportsman of the Year
1989
Succeeded by:
Rudy Dhaenens