George Fouché

{{Short description|South African racing driver (1965–2023)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}

{{Use South African English|date=July 2012}}

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = George Fouché

| image = Jordan F1 Test.jpg

| caption = Fouché in 1994

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1965|05|15}}

| birth_place = Pretoria, South Africa

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2023|05|05|1965|05|15}}

| death_place = Pretoria, South Africa

| nationality = South African

| awards = 1989 The Hero Award from the Japanese Automobile Federation (see Fuji)

1984 Springbok Colours{{cite web|url=http://www.motorsport.co.za/Scoring/scoresheets/01_GCR_2007.pdf |title=MSA Handbook 2007 |access-date=28 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030230734/http://www.motorsport.co.za/Scoring/scoresheets/01_GCR_2007.pdf |archive-date=30 October 2008 }}
1984 Young South African Sportsman of the Year (nominated)

}}

George Robert Fouché (nicknamed Fast Fouché; 15 May 1965 – 5 May 2023) was a South African international motorsport race car driver, Le Mans 24 Hour winner and South African Formula 1 Powerboat pilot. He retired from competition in 2005.

Fouché grew up on his father's brick factory, and by the age of 6 he was able to drive a bulldozer. His passion for motorsport began when he started driving go-karts in races at the age of 8. This continued until he was able to race cars at the age of 16.

At 16 he got his first competition licence from Motorsport South Africa and started competing in motorsport while he was still not allowed to drive on public roads.

Fouché had a very large scar over his left eye that many {{Who|date=February 2012}} believe is a result of a motorsport accident. In fact, he got the scar when on his 8th birthday - he was teaching someone to drive a tractor. While teaching him, the tractor accidentally jerked and George fell off and the tyre rode over the side of his head, causing a massive cut that went halfway around his head.

Due to his extensive travels between Japan and South Africa, he was actually booked on the ill-fated South African Airways Flight 295, The Helderberg, which crashed off Mauritius on 28 November 1987 en route from Taiwan to South Africa, but missed the flight when his connecting flight from Japan to Taiwan was cancelled due to a typhoon.

On 2 April 2007, he suffered a perforated ulcer which was misdiagnosed as pancreatitis. He spent 63 days in intensive care in Montana Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa and was released on 6 June 2007.

George died following complications from a fall in Pretoria, on 5 May 2023, at the age of 57.[https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/24-heures-du-mans/24-heures-du-mans-le-pilote-george-fouche-est-decede-c4d51abe-ec33-11ed-89c5-9bc4d0fdb2af 24 Heures du Mans. Le pilote George Fouché est décedé]

According to his brother Pete, George had an accidental fall during load shedding in February 2023 and suffered a cut to the head and significant blood loss. The hospital managed to stop the bleeding and stitch the wound but did not give him a blood transfusion. Over the next two months, his health deteriorated and was admitted to Pretoria West Hospital on 1 May 2023.