Formula One Test Driver De Villota Died as Consequence of Injuries from Duxford Crash, her Family Reveal
13 October 2013
Maria De Villota died as a consequence of her horror crash at Duxford Aerodrome last year, according to her family.
The Spanish racer, who lost her right eye and suffered serious facial injuries during her debut test for Formula One outfit Marussia last July, was found dead in a Spanish hotel room on Friday.
De Villota had appeared to make a remarkable recovery from the injuries she sustained in the life-threatening crash ahead of last year's British Grand Prix.
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Rocked: Maria de Villota was found dead in a hotel room on Friday - the Spanish racer was 33 years old
Horror crash: Maria De Villota collided with a lorry at the Duxford Aerodrome last year
But in a statement released on Saturday, her family have since been told that her death, which has stunned the F1 paddock, is linked to last year's accident at the Cambridgeshire airbase.
'Maria left us while she was sleeping, approximately at 6am, as a consequence of the neurological injuries that she suffered in July of 2012, according to what the forensic doctor has told us,' her sister Isabel said in a family statement.
'Maria is gone, but she has left us a very clear message of joy and hope, which is helping the family move on in these moments.'
The F1 paddock will hold a one-minute silence before Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix in memory of De Villota.
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Drivers Pay Respects to Former Test Driver De Villota after Tragic Death in Seville
13 October 2013
Formula One drivers will hold a minute’s silence for Maria de Villota before Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.
The 33-year-old Spaniard, a former test driver for the Marussia team, was found dead in a Seville hotel room on Friday morning. According to her family, she died as a result of the effects of the injuries she sustained in a horrific accident last year.
Reports suggest De Villota suffered a heart attack brought on by a brain haemorrhage and her family revealed they had been informed by doctors her death was directly linked to the accident at Duxford Aerodrome in July 2012.
Respects: Drivers and fans take a moment out to remember De Villota after she tragically passed away
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De Villota ploughed into the loading ramp of a team lorry, shattering her skull. Doctors were forced to remove her right eye.
A statement from the drivers’ union read: ‘All F1 drivers of the Grand Prix Drivers Association are very saddened to hear of the tragic death of our former member Maria de Villota.
‘Maria will be missed and always remembered by all of us.’
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