Maria De Villota found dead at her Hotel Room

Maria De Villota, former Marussia F1 team test driver and survivor of a bad crash in 2012, was found dead at a Hotel in Seville, Spain where she went to present a lecture.

The official reports confirms it as a natural death and an autopsy has revealed a cardiac arrest. 

Maria´s family signed the following her facebook page: "Dear friends: Maria is gone. She had to go to heaven with all of the angels. I thank God for the year and a half over that left her among us. FDO. Family Villota "

Maria de Villota, is 33yrs old and a daughter of former F1 driver Emillio de Villota. Having born in a racing family, Maria started with karts and graduated to various categories of the sport until becoming Test driver for Marussia F1 in 2012. 

She faced a severe accident during her first test for the Marussia Team in Duxford Aerodrome, England in July 3, 2013 after colliding with a team truck while coming back to the pits. She survived heavy injuries to her right side face, eye and skull but had to lose her right eye, sense of smell and taste after a heavy nuerological damage while also experiencing frequent headaches. 

A recovering Maria came back to public life in October 2012 with a press conference and later become a brand ambassador for FIA´s Woman in Motorsports while also participating in several seminars and also got married to her personal trainer in July 2013.

Maria was found dead in her hotel room early in the morning and her family confirmed her death while an autopsy confirmed de Villota died of natural causes after suffering a cardiac arrest, with all indications that the underlying cause may have been due to a ´detachment of brain mass´ as a result of her 2012 accident.

Maria was scheduled to participate as a speaker at the Seville Fundación Lo Que De Verdad Importa (LQDVI) conference and was due to launch her autobiographyLife Is a Gift on 14 October

Many F1 fraternity delivered their condolences and the motorsport world is in a deep shock,

Fernando Alonso said  "Today is a very sad day for Spanish sport. We have lost a fighter with a huge smile."

Indian driver Karun Chandhok who was working with Maria in the FIA drivers panel said: Tragic news about Maria de Villota. Sat next to her just a couple weeks ago at FIA Driver´s Commission meeting. A lovely girl who was doing a lot for women in racing and road safety"