Maria de Villota passed away.

[PlatinumZealot]

Very sad news.. I thought the tributes were for an anniversary of sorts, until I saw "condolences to the De Villota family" I was like whaaat? Im really truly Saddened by this..

[H2H]

Terrible news. A young women who behaved so well in the face of so much adversity just gone. After surviving the shocking incident she said that such things puts the importance of racing into perspective. It is a bitter, unbearable, cruel irony of faith that her wise words ring all the truer now...

Incredibly sad, I wish her family and her friends to be able to live in her spirit.

[Traction]

RIP...condolences to the family...

[PlatinumZealot]

The cause may be related to the crash....


"An autopsy confirmed de Villota had suffered a cardiac arrest, with it being believed that the underlying cause may have been a 'detachment of brain mass' as a result of her 2012 accident."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_de_Villota

I guess the part of her brain that controls her heart was damaged/separated. hmmm

[stefan_]

That was the first thing that went through my mind when I heard the terrible news - cardiac arrest. But I was thinking that maybe it could be related to some medication she had to take following the accident (if she had to take something at all).

[horse]

...the underlying cause may have been a 'detachment of brain mass' as a result of her 2012 accident."

I just ran the page that is referenced in Wikipedia for this assertion and I can't see anything mentioning brain detachment. All it says is this

Maria de Villota has died of natural causes after suffering a "cardiac arrest," according to the autopsy has been performed on the body this morning.

I think that wikipedia page needs adjusted.

[charlex]

We had the same passion for this sport, RIP Maria we miss your smile

[GitanesBlondes]

I hesitate when I hear the phrase natural causes used when a 33 year old dies of cardiac arrest. While it can certainly happen, I'd love to know what specifically, the autopsy uncovered. Otherwise healthy 33 year olds do not tend to succumb to cardiac arrest. The brain detachment doesn't seem to be a confirmed problem yet. If that were the case, then it makes the entire thing more understandable.

What exactly caused the cardiac arrest according to the Spanish media, is not going to be known for a few months.

She apparently had a headache that evening, took medication, and then went to sleep. She was found dead in the morning. Just right off the bat, it sounds almost identical in circumstances to when Bruce Lee died. He had a headache, took medication, and went to sleep only to be found dead. His cause of death was a cerebral edema. I don't know if this was a similar situation though.

[Shrieker]

Condolences to her family and friends.

May she RIP.

[Petroltorque]

When I heard the news this morning I said WTF. This is an absolute tragedy. As someone said above a 33 year old does not die of natural causes unless there is known pre-existing morbidity.
I would give my eye teeth to know what the coroner has put on the death certificate. A the two most common causes of sudden onset death in the under 45s is a vascular event be it cardiac or cerebral. The fact that she was passed fit to return to drive would rule out a cardiac cause as an abnormality would have turned up on heart tracing. Cerebral bleeding is a possibility but knowing the type of work up needed for maxillofacial/ brain surgery requires angiographic studies, so any malformation should have been picked up. I suppose an adverse drug interaction is another possibility since she might still be on medication.
I can only voice my deepest sympathy for her family and hope finding the cause of her death can provide them with some closure.

[GrizzleBoy]

Doctors inform Maria de Villota's family she died of injuries suffered in test crash.

Maria de Villota died of injuries sustained during her crash in testing last year, doctors have told her family.

The 33-year-old was found dead in her hotel room in Seville on Friday, a year after suffering a horrific accident whilst straight-line testing for Marussia.

In a statement released on Saturday, the family revealed they had been told that her death was a consequence of the crash at the Duxford Aerodrome last July, in which she sustained serious head injuries and lost the use of her right eye.

"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," the family statement read.





Brundle - Maria was so brave
.

"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 family also stated that Maria will be buried in Madrid "in the most strict intimacy".

Although no fault had been found with De Villota's car last summer, the Health and Safety Executive had been investigating the circumstances around the accident.

In light of her death, a HSE spokeswoman said: "We don't know if there is a link between her injuries and her subsequent death, but we would expect to be kept informed of any new evidence."

The F1 Grand Prix Drivers' Association have announced that a minute's silence will be held before Sunday's drivers' parade ahead of the Japanese GP and the post-race podium ceremony will be dedicated to Maria.

[jknights]

RIP such a shame to lose such a talent.
Condolences to her family.

[Morteza]

That is indeed sad news. I could not believe it when I first saw the news. Life can be pretty harsh. RIP Maria...

[xpensive]

Maria de Villota obviously died in the repercussions of her 2012 crash, which makes her the first F1 casualty since Ayrton Senna.

Indeed tragic, but please spare us those embarrassing "RIPs" as if you knew her personally.

[Steven]

It was also reported that the "natural causes" were actually the consequence of the nerve damage she sustained during the crash. It's why the family stated they were grateful for the extra year they have Maria with them.

Maria's biography will appear soon btw.