Thierry Boutsen Biography: Thierry Marc Boutsen is a Belgian former Formula One driver who has driven for Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier, and Jordan. He competed in 164 World Championship Grands Prix, winning three races, finishing 15th, and gaining 132 points.
Thierry Boutsen Biography
Thierry Boutsen Biography: Thierry Boutsen was born on 13 July 1957 in Brussels, Belgium. He raced in 164 World Championship Grands Prix (163 starts), winning three races, finishing 15th, and gaining 132 points. His best World Drivers’ Championship finish came in 1988 while driving for Benetton. He also finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Man’s sportscar event twice (with a Peugeot 905 in 1993 and a Porsche 911 GT1 in 1996).
Thierry Boutsen Wiki
| Name | Thierry Boutsen |
| Date Of Birth | 13 July 1957 |
| Birth Place | Brussels, Belgium |
| Height | 6′ 1″ |
| Weight | N/A |
| Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
| Profession | Racing Driver |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Car Collection | N/A |
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Thierry Boutsen Career
Frank Williams hired Boutsen in the summer of 1988 to replace Nigel Mansell for the 1989 season after Mansell signed with Ferrari. Williams signed Boutsen to a two-year contract due to his reputation as a reliable, quick driver with solid development abilities. He drove the new V10 Renault-powered Williams FW12C in 1989. Boutsen began 1989 on the back foot due to a severe pre-season testing accident in Rio and his veteran teammate Riccardo Patrese’s remarkable resurgence. However, at the Canadian Grand Prix, Boutsen drove well in rainy conditions and won his first race after Senna’s engine failed late. Although it was a welcome victory, it was considered a fortunate victory for the Belgian, as he had been last at one point. It had a 360° spin, but he kept his car off the walls.
He managed to catch and pass Patrese, who suffered from a loose undertray and claimed the lead with three laps remaining when Senna’s McLaren MP4/5’s Honda V10 engine seized. After achieving three more podium finishes, Boutsen finished the year with a second victory at the rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix. Ironically, Boutsen was one of the drivers who challenged the track conditions before the race.
His third and final Grand Prix victory – a lights-to-flag victory in Hungary where he took his 1st pole position and survived sustained pressure from Alessandro Nannini (Benetton) and Ayrton Senna (McLaren) – came in 1990, along with more consistent point-scoring performances. In 1991, when Nigel Mansell was available, Williams felt they required a star driver to mount a championship challenge. Despite Boutsen’s three victories in two years compared to Patrese’s single victory, the team determined that Patrese had been more consistent and decided to retain the Italian to drive alongside Mansell.
Ford Motorsport hired Boutsen in 1994 to head their works challenge in the newly created German Super Tourenwagen Cup. That first season, during which Boutsen drove an Eggenberger Motorsport-built, factory-prepared Ford Mondeo, was a learning year for both Boutsen and the team.
Boutsen’s former Williams colleague Riccardo Patrese joined him the following year, but the season was a disaster. The Mondeo was utterly uncompetitive despite its efforts to develop a four-wheel-drive car in the style of Audi. In 1996, Boutsen only participated in the first four races before quitting the team and switching to sports car racing. Ford discontinued the project at the end of the season following three years of limited success to concentrate solely on the British series.
