Credit: FIA Women in Motorsport

The late Spanish Formula 1 reserve driver María de Villota lost her right eye in an F1 test crash in July 2012. Despite being cleared to resume driving in early 2013, she died later that year, aged 33.

At the time of the accident, De Villota, one of very few female F1 drivers, was test driving for the Marussia team. She suffered serious head and facial injuries requiring lengthy surgery after colliding with a support vehicle at Duxford Aerodrome in the UK. Despite her injuries, she maintained a positive outlook on life and remained active in motor-racing circles, attending the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix and maintaining her role as an ambassador for the FIA's Women In Motorsport Commission.

De Villota’s skull damage after the crash

Tragically, in October 2013, she was found dead in her hotel room in Seville, where she had been attending a conference. Her family issued a statement saying they believed she died because of the neurological injuries sustained in the 2012 crash. However, an investigation by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive concluded in 2015 that no enforcement action was to be taken against the team, which was renamed Manor. A legal dispute followed, which was settled in 2017.

De Villota, the daughter of former F1 driver Emilio de Villota, had previously raced in Spanish Formula 3 and the Daytona 24 Hours.