Sean Edwards 1986-2013

British racing driver Sean Edwards has died in a crash at the Queensland Raceway in Australia.

The 26-year-old, born in London, was a passenger in a Porsche which hit the barriers during a private test session.

Edwards is currently leading the Porsche Supercup championship, a series which supports Formula 1 races.

He is the son of former F1 driver Guy Edwards, who pulled Niki Lauda out of his burning Ferrari after a crash at the Nurburgring in 1976.

Edwards was taking part in the second day of a two-day coaching session for young drivers at the track in Queensland.

The driver of the car, a 20-year-old from Brisbane, survived the high-speed crash but was stuck in the car for more than two hours.

He is currently being treated in a local hospital having sustained severe injuries and burns.

Monaco-based Edwards won the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May. Driving a Mercedes, he joined forces with Bernd Schneider, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Nicki Thiim to claim his first major victory in endurance racing.

He also played his father in Ron Howard's movie Rush, released last month, which focused on the rivalry between Lauda and James Hunt during the 1976 Formula 1 season.

Past and present drivers have expressed their shock at the news of his death.

Three-times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Allan McNish said: "I knew his father initially from his sponsorship days, so I have followed Sean's career a bit closer than you would normally do.

"The tragedy of it is he was leading the Supercup championship after such strong performances through the middle of the year. It looked like he was going to win.

"Also, having won the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, I would say this was probably his strongest year in racing.

"He won the Porsche Supercup race in Monaco this year by 20 seconds, which is unheard of in a one-make-spec championship.

"This was a breakthrough year for him. He was showing what talent he had, but had maybe never had the opportunity to actually display it.

"Apart from that, he was a guy who loved life, loved racing, loved cycling, was strong and fit."

Former McLaren driver and BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard tweeted: "Shocking news about Sean Edwards passing, top man and super talented racer, condolences to his nearest and dearest."

Marussia driver Max Chilton added on Twitter:  "Truly shocked to hear the devastating news about Sean Edwards, watched him win many races and will be a huge loss to the sport."

Former Benetton, McLaren and Jordan driver Martin Brundle tweeted: "Terribly sad news re the death of Sean Edwards, a very talented racer. Condolences to his family and friends. Motorsport can be too cruel."

Hartmut Kristen, head of motorsport at Porsche, said in a statement: "Our thoughts are with his family and we want to express our deepest condolences to his relatives."

The Motor Sports Association added in a statement: "Sean was a hugely promising young racer who came through the junior formulas in Britain, before making a career in international sportscar racing.

"The MSA extends its deepest sympathies to Sean's family, friends and fans at this difficult time."

Edwards had contested the Porsche Supercup series since 2008 and holds an 18-point lead in the championship ahead of the final two races at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi next month.

He had a short career in single-seaters, competing in the Formula Renault championship, before switching his attention to GT racing.

He also competed in the FIA GT2 and GT3 series, which he won in 2006, as well as the Le Mans Series before focusing on the Porsche Supercup.

His death follows that of former F1 reserve driver Maria De Villota, who was found dead in her hotel room in Seville last week.

The 33-year-old's death was believed to have been a consequence of the injuries she suffered during a testing crash last year.

Four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti also suffered a high-speed crash a week ago.

The Scot broke two vertebrae in his spine, two ribs and an ankle.

Alonso concedes championship is lost

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso said he was happy to have broken the all-time Formula 1 points record but admitted this year's championship is over.

The Spaniard finished fourth in the Japanese Grand Prix to pass Michael Schumacher in the all-time points list.

But he is 90 points behind race-winner Sebastian Vettel with 100 available.

"Even if Vettel doesn't finish all of the races I need to win nearly all, so it's a matter of time [until Vettel is champion]," Alonso said.

On his own accomplishment, he admitted he had benefited from the fact that slightly more of his career than Schumacher's had come after 2010 when points awarded were more than doubled and extended to 10th place.

Alonso has now scored 1,571 points in his 12-year career, two more than Schumacher. Vettel is third on 1,351.

"We have different goals now and they told me I have the record for the most amount of points in F1 history, so it's a happy day. Leading points scorer in F1 is something great," he said.

"I know the points system changed, but when someone overtakes me in the points no-one will remember the points system changed."

To win the title, however, Alonso - who has won 32 grands prix in his career to Vettel's 34 - would have to win three of the remaining four races and finish second in the other, with Vettel retiring from them all.

Alonso acknowledged his Ferrari did not have enough pace to do that.

"We struggle a little bit to do so," he said, "so it is matter of time. We continue to try to do our best on Sundays. When it is mathematically settled we [will] congratulate him."

In fact, Vettel will clinch the title in the next race in India on 27 October as long as Alonso does not outscore him by at least 16 points.

"Regarding the championship, as I said, I think obviously we have a very, very good gap but we still keep pushing," said Vettel.

"I think we've proven in the last couple of years that we never give up. I think we've won one or two championships because of that.

"Obviously this year it looks very good at this stage - but it's not over before it's over."

Alonso's aim is now to secure second in the drivers' championship and do the same for Ferrari in the constructors' competition.

The Italian team extended their lead over Mercedes to 10 points after a bad race for the German team, who saw Lewis Hamilton retire with damage caused by a puncture and Nico Rosberg take eighth after a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release from a pit stop.

Lotus are also in the running for second place - they are 33 points behind Ferrari after Romain Grosjean took third in Suzuka and Kimi Raikkonen fifth.

Team boss Eric Boullier said: "Two weekends in a row we have gained some points on them. If we can keep it going it's possible."

The four remaining races are in India, Abu Dhabi, the United States and Brazil.

Maria De Villota 1980-2013

Former Marussia test driver Maria de Villota has passed away, aged 33.

The Spanish racer, daughter of ex-Formula One driver and British Formula Three series champion Emilio de Villota, raced in several categories including Spanish F3 and sportscars before joining Marussia as a test driver in March 2012.

In July of last year De Villota was involved in a serious accident during a straight-line test with Marussia at the UK’s Duxford airport, sustaining life-threatening head injuries and losing her right eye. She spent a month in hospital, but went on to make a strong recovery.

De Villota continued to be involved in motorsport, becoming an Ambassador for Women in Motorsport with Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, and also participating in both the FIA Drivers’ Commission and its Action for Road Safety campaign.

A statement on De Villota's Facebook page, signed by her family, read: "Dear friends: Maria has left us. She had to go to heaven like all angels. We are thankful to God for the extra year and a half that he left her with us."

The Marussia team said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we learned a short time ago of the news that Maria de Villota has passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with Maria’s family and friends at this very difficult time.”

As news of De Villota’s passing spread through the Suzuka paddock in Japan on Friday, numerous teams and drivers paid tribute to their former colleague.

Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn, who worked alongside De Villota as a fellow Ambassador for Women in Motorsport, said: “We are shocked to hear the news of Maria de Villota’s death and would like to offer our sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to her family and friends for this tragic loss.

“If anybody represented strength and optimism, it was Maria. Her sudden death is a big loss to the motorsport world as she was an important ambassador for relaying important messages to the youth, and particularly girls that aspire to a career in motorsport. Maria was an example of someone who never gave up, she always had a smile on her face and we will dearly miss her.”

Vettel losing drivers respect according to Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg has admitted he took objection in Singapore when world champion Sebastian Vettel suggested his rivals are lazy.

After dominating the floodlit Grand Prix, German Vettel explained Red Bull's advantage by insisting that while his team works "very hard", the others are "hanging their balls in the pool very early on Fridays".

It may have been a joke, but Mercedes' Rosberg did not laugh.

"Maybe he shouldn't be thinking about my balls," he is quoted on Thursday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"It was definitely inappropriate," added Rosberg. "My team works its ass off. And he can't possibly know how much we work compared to them.

"My boys work like crazy."

And as F1 figures puzzle over why Vettel is being booed on post-race podiums, Rosberg said comments like the one made in Singapore do him no favours.

"He is in very clear danger of losing the respect of the other drivers," he said.

McLaren's Jenson Button agrees: "It was a wrong and unfair thing for Sebastian to say."

But Vettel said he found it "strange" that his comment was so controversial.

"It was not my intention to say anything against someone else," he said, "but only to show that our success is no accident."

Minardi raises concerns over Vettel's Singapore win

Former F1 team owner Gian Carlo Minardi has raised doubts about the legitimacy of Sebastian Vettel's dominance in Singapore last weekend.

The 66-year-old, who sold his team before the 2001 season, was trackside at the Marina Bay circuit where Vettel commandingly won.

Minardi, whose Faenza based team was subsequently sold to Red Bull and became Toro Rosso, admits he has been troubled by Vettel's often multiple-second advantage over his rivals under the Singapore floodlights.

"It's not my intention to devalue Sebastian Vettel, who always manages his Red Bull in the best way," he told his website.

"I just want to tell what I personally saw and heard during the three day event," Minardi explained.

He said he is concerned that, while only just ahead of the likes of Lotus' Romain Grosjean and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg in the pre-race sessions, the reason for Vettel's subsequent dominance at key moments on Sunday is "not clear".

Referring to the stretch leading into the first chicane, Minardi said Vettel was able to negotiate it "without making any corrections, unlike all his rivals and also his teammate" Mark Webber.

"His lap time was also remarkable in T3, which is the track's sector with the highest concentration of corners," he added.

"On the same stretch, Sebastian was able to speed up 50 metres before any other driver, Webber included."

But the handling of the Red Bull was not the only thing troubling Minardi.

"The thing that surprised me the most was the engine's sound," he said.

"It sounded like none of the other Renault engines on track, including Mark's. It sounded similar to the engines in past seasons when traction control went into action.

"Furthermore, that sound was only heard when Vettel chalked up his excellent performances," added Minardi. "For example, after the safety car went in. In those moments it was more powerful (sounding) than any other engines -- Renault and the other brands.

"I would like to have some answers," he continued. "I don't want to blame anyone, I just want to get to the bottom of it."

Personal note: Cheating? In Singapore? Never! That's already been done!

Rubens Barrichello set for F1 return

Rubens Barrichello's return to Formula One could even happen this season.

It emerged late last week that the Brazilian veteran, who lost his Williams seat at the end of 2011, could be a shock contender to race alongside the highly inexperienced Sergey Sirotkin at Sauber next year.

But the highly respected Brazilian correspondent Livio Oricchio claims 41-year-old Barrichello - the most experienced driver in F1 history - could even race the Sauber at his home race at Interlagos for November's 2013 finale.

Oricchio said Barrichello is currently not answering his phone.

"He just sent a message saying 'who knows'," he wrote in O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

And Oricchio said F1 chief executive Ecclestone answered "good" when told of the prospect of Barrichello's return.

On a strictly personal note...this has to happen...now!

Felipe Massa may head to DTM

Toto Wolff, the boss of Mercedes' motor racing activities, has admitted Felipe Massa is a candidate to move into the German touring car series DTM in 2014.

While also hoping to move to Lotus next year but not ruling out a sabbatical after Ferrari decided to replace him with Kimi Raikkonen, Brazilian Massa recently admitted he might be interested in DTM.

"I do not like endurance races," O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper quoted him as saying, "(but) DTM is something I see as possible for me."

Austrian Wolff, who watched Massa outqualify his Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso in Singapore on Saturday, said the 32-year-old might be in the running for a seat with Mercedes.

"A driver like Felipe, with services as he has shown here, would be a benefit for DTM or any other racing series," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"He's definitely an interesting driver. We would certainly consider it," admitted Wolff.