Maria de Villota: Profile and update

María de Villota Comba
Nationality	Spanish
Born	13 January 1980 Madrid, Spain
Previous series
2009-2011200920092008200820072007, 20102006–072005–062001–05	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

Have you ever had one of those nights that you just didn’t want to go to bed out of fear of what may happen while you are asleep? I, Samantha, remember the last thing I read about Maria de Villota before heading to bed, was that she was rushed into theatre for surgery.

Now after reading all the releases by both the team and medical support systems, it was a horrific (and unexplained) collision but you never think of anything like this happening. Women in motor sports are so few and women drivers are even less. Before Maria, the last woman in F1 was Giovanna Amati (1992 for Brabham). So when a female icon like Maria is injured, it sends shock-waves throughout the entire female racing population.

When morning broke, I was nearly terrified to open my email as I knew that there would be a media release by Marussia on Maria’s condition.

The news was that de Villota was still in critical (but stable) condition but had lost her right eye as a consequence of the accident, wasn’t what anyone (driver or writer) wants to hear.

And with that, everyone here at ‘Girls Like F1 Too’ would like to extend their deepest sympathies and warmest wishes to Maria de Villota, her family and the Marussia F1 Team.