Philippe Gurdjian, 1945 - 2014

Former French Grand Prix promoter Philippe Gurdjian has passed away at the age of 69. Born in the suburbs of Paris in 1945, Gurdjian also helped establish a number of new F1 events, including those in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi.

Gurdjian began his career in advertising and was a keen gentleman racer, competing several times in the famed Le Mans 24 Hours in the 1970s and '80s.