Photos: F1 family: The De Villotas. Hide Caption. Joining the men — Spain's De Villota was the first female driver to join a Formula One team in 20 years. F1 family — Maria's father Emilio de Villota is a pilot and former racing driver. He runs his own team in the Spanish Formula Three championship. Like father, like daughter? Earlier in the day, Marussia had said: "At approximately this morning, Maria De Villota had an accident in the team's MR race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time.
Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued. De Villota made her debut behind the wheel of an F1 car when testing for Lotus Renault in August The only other female driver currently contracted in the elite division of motorsport is Britain's Susie Wolff, who is a development driver with Williams.
Her death, at 33, was met with an outpouring of grief, not just from the motorsport community, but across Spain, where she was seen as a role model for those who fought to overcome adversity. She was found by her PA in a hotel room in Seville. Spanish police said there were no signs of foul play.
The news of her death emerged just as the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix was coming to an end. Martin Whitmarsh, team principal of McLaren Mercedes, said: "She was an inspiration not just to women in this sport, but also to all those who suffered life-threatening injuries.
Her story, determination and subsequent inspiration flowed from F1 through sport as a whole. She had to go to heaven like all angels. We are thankful to God for the extra year and a half that he left her with us. On Friday morning she was due to give a speech to a group of students about how to overcome life's setbacks, as part of a conference called What Really Matters.
Ahead of the talk she had said: "Life is beautiful, the only thing we have to do is take it a little slower, and enjoy it.
0コメント