Former Spanish Formula 1 test driver Maria de Villota has been found dead in a hotel in the southern Spanish city of Seville, a police spokeswoman said last weekend.
De Villota, who lost her right eye and fractured her skull in a horrific accident at a F1 test at Duxford airfield in England in July last year, had likely died of ‘natural causes’, the spokesperson said, adding that an investigation was ongoing, but nothing could be confirmed as forensic scientists and homicide police examined the scene.
Although the 33-year-old recovered from the life-threatening injuries sustained in the crash, she no longer competed and had instead become an inspirational figure for aspiring female drivers, being one of the very few females in the world to drive in the elite Formula 1.
The news of her sudden passing has shocked Spain and the motor racing world.