During the eighties Thierry Boutsen was one of Formula 1’s most amiable characters. The Belgian drove for Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan during an impressive Grand Prix career which brought three victories.
Formula Ford and Formula 3 Success
Boutsen was born in Brussels on July 13th, 1957. His first experience of a racing car came at Zolder, where he enrolled in a course in 1975. At the time he was studying for an engineering degree but he soon quit his course to concentrate on racing.
For the 1977 Formula Ford season Boutsen bought himself a Hawke, which he entered himself in. A change to a Crossle chassis in 1978 brought considerable success, as Boutsen won 15 out of 18 races on his way to the Benelux Formula Ford title.
1979 was spent racing in Formula 3. In 1980 he drove in the European championship for the works Martini team, scoring three wins on his way to second in the points standings behind Michele Alboreto. Boutsen joined the March Formula 2 team in 1981 and also competed at Le Mans, only to be involved in a tragic accident. His WM-Peugeot suffered a suspension failure resulting in a violent accident which cost the life of a marshal. Boutsen moved to the Spirit Formula 2 team in 1982, which also gave him the opportunity to test their new Formula 1 car. Eventually, the Formula 1 race drive went to his team-mate, Stefan Johansson.
Formula 1 with Arrows and Benetton
In1983 Boutsen raced in the European Touring Car Championship. At that year’s Belgian Grand Prix he made his Formula 1 debut, driving for Arrows. Boutsen remained with the team for several years, although the cars were never good enough to win a race. He did manage an impressive second place at the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix, behind Elio De Angelis in a Lotus.
After his stint at Arrows, Boutsen moved to Benetton for 1987. He remained there for two seasons before agreeing terms to drive for Williams, the team with which he would score all three of his Grand prix wins.
Grand Prix Glory with Williams
Boutsen’s first Grand victory came in the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix, on a wet Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. He cemented his reputation as an excellent wet weather driver by winning in the rain at the season closing Australian Grand Prix. All of Boutsen’s wins were achieved in difficult conditions. His final victory, at the Hungaroring in 1990, was scored after resisting intense pressure from Ayrton Senna’s McLaren for much of the race.
Boutsen’s Final Years in Formula 1
Williams did not retain Boutsen’s services for 1991 and the Belgian moved to Ligier, where he stayed for two disappointing seasons. His final Grand Prix appearances were for Jordan in 1993, where he replaced Ivan Capelli.
After Formula 1 Boutsen raced sporadically in sports cars, until a serious accident at Le Mans in 1999 convinced him to retire. He currently runs his own aviation business in Monaco.
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