Maria De Villota: F1 reserve driver found dead in Seville

 

Formula 1 reserve racing driver Maria De Villota has been found dead in a hotel room in Seville, Spain.

A police spokeswoman said: "We are assuming it was a natural death, but we cannot confirm anything."

Spaniard De Villota, 33, lost her right eye in a crash last July while testing for the Marussia team.

She suffered severe head and facial injuries after colliding with a lorry at Duxford Aerodrome, Cambridgeshire, but had been cleared to resume driving

A statement from her family said: "Dear friends: Maria is gone. She had to go to heaven with all of the angels. Give thanks to God for the year-and-a-half we had left together."

De Villota, daughter of ex-Formula 1 driver Emilio, was reported to have been in Seville to launch her autobiography.

The police spokeswoman said De Villota's body was found at around 07:00 (06:00 BST) at the Hotel Sevilla Congresos in the southern Spanish city.

Forensic scientists and officers from the homicide unit were due to examine the scene.

F1 teams and drivers have been expressing their shock at the news of her death.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso, the Ferrari driver, said: "It's very sad news for the world of motorsport as Maria was loved by everyone. Now, all we can do is pray for her and for her family."

Britain's Jenson Button added: "It's horrendous news. Very tragic, the girl has been through so much, more than most people go through in their lives. It has been tough for her but this is horrific news and a real shock to the whole paddock and the world of motorsport.

"We saw her this year in Barcelona. We were doing some work for a children's charity and she was the first one to put her hand up to do it, and got a lot of other drivers involved - she was doing a lot for the community."