F1 will pay tribute to Maria de Villota at Suzuka

Maria de Villota passed away Friday morning and a tribute will be paid to her tomorrow in Suzuka during the Japanese Grand Prix. The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) announced that a minute of silence will be observed before the driver parade which precedes the grid formation. The podium ceremony is also expected to be dedicated to her.

« She was an active member and contributed to the safety of the drivers in a very enthusiastic and professional manner. Her positive attitude, maturity, and extreme dedication will never be forgotten and are something from which we have learned. Maria will be missed, and her memory will remain with us forever, » states the GPDA communiqué.

While the initial information from her autopsy suggested she had died of natural causes, her family released a statement explaining that her death was related to the accident she had in July 2012 during straight-line testing for the Marussia team, for which she was the test driver.

« Maria left us while she was sleeping, at around 6 a.m. as a result of the neurological injuries she suffered in July 2012, according to what the coroner told us. Maria is gone, but she left us with a clear message of joy and hope, which will help the family move forward in these moments, » explains the statement from the De Villota family.