Maria De Villota: A Driving Force for Women’s Racing

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: October 11, 2013

commentComment        

When Maria de Villota’s Marussia MR-01 crashed into a support truck at Duxford airfield in Cambridge on July 3, 2012 a promising career was cut short.

De Villota had been completing a straightline test when her car struck a team support truck while returning to the pits. She lost her right eye in the accident, but her life was saved, and de Villota recovered after a series of operations to take an active part in motor racing as an ambassador for the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission.

Talking almost a year ago to the day about her accident, de Villota said she had a new outlook on life and that the experience had given her “back what’s important” in life as quoted on BBC Sport at the time.

It makes today’s news all the more heartbreaking. De Villota was found dead in a hotel room in Seville, as reported by BBC Sport.

De Villota's death is a great loss to motorsport, with her passion for racing shining through in the BBC interview previously mentioned.

Before, I only saw F1, I saw myself in a car competing. I did not see what was important in life, the clarity to say: 'I am alive.' It has given me my bearings, given me back what's important. I accept it with the energy to say I am going to live out this chance 100%.



The daughter of former F1 driver Emilio, racing was in de Villota’s blood from an early age, and she followed the traditional route of karting before moving to the Spanish Formula Toyota series in 2000.

Three full seasons in the Spanish Formula 3 Championship followed before de Villota switched her attention from single-seaters to tin tops, competing in the Ferrari Challenge Europe in 2005-2006, four races in the World Touring Car Championship between 2006 and 2007 and the Spanish GT Championship also in 2007.

Her biggest success racing closed roof cars came in the German ADAC Procar series in 2007...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Formula 1

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!