María de Villota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids María de Villota |
|
|---|---|
María de Villota in 2011.
|
|
| Nationality |  Spanish |
| Born | 13 January 1979 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 11 October 2013 (aged 34) Seville, Spain |
| Related to | Emilio de Villota (father) Emilio de Villota Jr. (brother) |
| Previous series | |
| 2009–2011 2009 2009 2008 2008 2007 2007, 2010 2006–07 2005–06 2001–05 |
Superleague Formula Formula Palmer Audi Trofeo Abarth Europe Euroseries 3000 Italian Superstars ADAC Procar – Division I Spanish GT Championship WTCC Ferrari Challenge Europe Spanish F3 |
María de Villota Comba (born January 13, 1979 – died October 11, 2013) was a Spanish racing driver. She came from a family of racers. Her father, Emilio de Villota, was a Formula One driver. Her brother, Emilio de Villota Jr., also competed in racing.
María was a test driver for the Marussia Formula One team. Sadly, she had a serious accident during a test drive. She suffered head and face injuries. Her death later was linked to these injuries.
Contents
Early Racing Career
María de Villota was born in Madrid, Spain. She loved racing and competed in many different series. These included the World Touring Car Championship and the ADAC Procar Series.
In 2009, she joined the Atlético Madrid team. She raced for them in the Superleague Formula series. This series uses special open-wheel cars. She stayed with the team until the series ended in 2011. María also took part in the famous 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race in 2005.
Formula One Dreams
On August 18, 2011, the Lotus Renault GP team announced something exciting. María de Villota had tested a Formula One car for the first time! This test happened at the Paul Ricard Circuit. She hoped to become a test driver for a Formula One team.
On March 7, 2012, her dream came true. María de Villota joined the Marussia F1 Team as a test driver. This meant she would get the chance to drive a real Formula One car later that year.
The Duxford Testing Accident
On July 3, 2012, María was testing the Marussia F1 car. This was her first time driving the car. The test took place at Duxford Aerodrome in England. Around 9:30 AM, an accident happened. Her car crashed into a parked truck. This happened at the end of a test run, as she was returning to the service area.
A reporter saw the accident. They thought the car was going about 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 km/h). It took about an hour to get her out of the car. She was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridgeshire. She had very serious head and facial injuries. The next day, the Marussia team said she was in a "critical but stable" condition. They also confirmed she had lost her right eye.
A few days later, her condition improved. On July 16, Marussia said their own investigation found the car was not at fault. After 17 days, María left the hospital. She went back to Spain. Luckily, she did not have severe brain damage.
María first appeared in public in October 2012. She gave an interview and held a press conference. She shared that she had lost her senses of smell and taste. She also still had headaches. She hoped to race again if she could get a license. She also wanted to help make motorsport safer.
Later, an official report was made about the accident. It said María had not been fully told how to stop the car. It also said the car's anti-stall system activated. This pushed the car forward into the truck's tail-lift as she tried to brake.
Personal Life
María de Villota married Rodrigo García Millán. He was a personal trainer. They got married on July 28, 2013, in Seville. This was less than three months before she passed away.
Her Death
On October 11, 2013, María de Villota was found dead. She was 33 years old. This happened in her hotel room in Seville. An autopsy showed she had a cardiac arrest.
At first, her family said her death was from "absolutely natural causes." However, a doctor later confirmed something important. María's death was a result of the neurological injuries. These were the injuries she got from her Formula One testing crash the year before.
When she died, María was going to speak at a conference. She was also about to release her autobiography. It was called Life Is a Gift. Her body was cremated on October 12, 2013, in Seville.
Circuito del Jarama Tributes
The Circuito del Jarama racetrack has honored María de Villota twice. On July 5, 2017, the final turn of the track was named Curva María de Villota. This was done to remember her.
Since 2014, the circuit also holds an annual Christmas Eve race. It's called the María de Villota 10km and 5km. This race helps raise money for good causes.
Books
- La vida es un regalo ("Life Is a Gift", 2013) ISBN: 9788415880394
Decorations
- Golden Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit (Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo, October 29, 2013).
Motorsports Career Summary
María de Villota competed in many different racing series throughout her career. She raced in events like the Grand-Am Series, World Touring Car Championship, Euroseries 3000, and Superleague Formula. Her dedication to motorsport was clear in every race she entered.
|
See also
In Spanish: María de Villota para niños
