Maria de Villota

Chris Jenkins · Jul 17, 2012

Bruno Sousa Ferreira said:
Isn't the anti-stall system suppose to pull the clutch in as well? that is what happens when a driver spins out on track.

I'm pretty sure the driver has to pull the clutch in for spins. Different set of circumstances for what the engine/throttle are doing at the time.

Bruno Sousa Ferreira · Jul 17, 2012

Chris Jenkins said:
I'm pretty sure the driver has to pull the clutch in for spins. Different set of circumstances for what the engine/throttle are doing at the time.

But the anti-stall pulls the clutch automatically incase the driver can't do it in time (i.e. a spin) that stops the car from stopping even when you are in gear. That is point of the anti stall system, well that is what I though.

LeeRex · Jul 19, 2012

Mark Aalberts said:
I think she is lucky that here head isn't decapicitated and is still alive.

Im virtualy blind on one eye to because of an accident many years ago i can see only about 15% (everything is blur) because i dont have my pupil anymore im basicaly doing everything with my right eye. So i know what Vilota is waiting when she recovers. Indeed depth vision is a problem but this is not bad in terms of racing though althoug i can imagine it will be hard for a openwheeler as she will have to move her head more to one side to see the mirrors now. On of the depth problems that often occurs is more for example when a tennisball is thrown to me in the air i can hardly catch it because its incredible hard to judge where it is, so especialy when stuff is heading in youre direction. I dont realy have problems to judge things that are happening futher in front of me, the only thing you need to learn is to turn the head more because you have to look with the other eye so basicaly the death angle of one side is away you cant see it. This problem gave me some problems when i just started to drive a car, missed out some cars on roundabouts because i didnt noticed them. In the mean time im used to live this way but the first years will be hard, you have to learn to adapt to it.

I hope she recovers well.

LeeRex · Jul 19, 2012

I think it was her mistake...hit the throttle instead of the brake...done it myself...nearly put the car through the back of the garage..
Remember the Audi 5000 scandal a few years ago where a driver actually ran over and killed one of her kids. That woman blamed the car because the truth was just too hard to face....others have run through the front of restaurants or darted through red lights.

Bradley Vanian · Jul 19, 2012

LeeRex said:
I think it was her mistake...hit the throttle instead of the brake...done it myself...nearly put the car through the back of the garage..
Remember the Audi 5000 scandal a few years ago where a driver actually ran over and killed one of her kids. That woman blamed the car because the truth was just too hard to face....others have run through the front of restaurants or darted through red lights.
LeeRex, 7 minutes ago Edit Report

Who do you think you are? That's a horrible comment to say. You are accusing someone of an error with no proof or evidence and saying that she isn't strong enough to admit the truth. Just sick.

Markus Neumann · Jul 19, 2012

In his defense: there were plenty of F1 sites which claimed that it was her mistake and apparently even a source from within Virgin indicated it.
Second paragraph really is pure speculation though and I don't see the point of it anyway since Maria de Villota didn't blame anything on anyone.

Dave Stephenson · Jul 19, 2012

As for it being her mistake from what I've read things are certainly pointing that way as I've seen in the news that Virgins investigation has not found fault with the car. I'm not sure if the report of the investigation has been fully publicised in anyway but I'm sure we'll get news of some kind this weekend during the Grand Prix.

@LeeRex It's not really fair to call her for not admitting any truths etc until she makes some kind of formal statement/interveiw etc. They will come in time but I'm sure there's plenty of more pressing issues. I certainly know I'd be more interested in my eye and my health first.

Ejike Wodu · Jul 20, 2012

I have my opinion but that's all it is. I have no proof. Only Maria can know for sure exactly what went on. And for that reason, I have followed the thread and not commented on whose fault it might be.

I do think it's a bit unfair to make a sure and bold statement about whose fault it was.
We should wait for her to make a statement (if she will) before we cast aspersions.

Marussia have exculpated themselves. Which seems to point to Maria, but I would still prefer to wait.

Alberto Casado · Oct 9, 2012

Press conference of Maria de Villota has been announced for this coming Thursday.

Bruno Sousa Ferreira · Oct 9, 2012

should be interesting what she has to say of what happen

Ejike Wodu · Oct 11, 2012

No press conference info, but she has made an appearance.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/19912490

Martin Leyfield · Oct 15, 2012

Wow she looks great all things considering. Thanks for sharing this.

Kevin Ascher · Oct 15, 2012

LeeRex said:
I think it was her mistake...hit the throttle instead of the brake...done it myself...nearly put the car through the back of the garage..
Remember the Audi 5000 scandal a few years ago where a driver actually ran over and killed one of her kids. That woman blamed the car because the truth was just too hard to face....others have run through the front of restaurants or darted through red lights.

What a disgusting comment.
If you had taken more than one minute making yourself familiar with the topic, you'd know that it is impossible to reach the brake with your right foot or the accelerator with your left foot and I highly doubt that she confused which foot is for the brake!
Not only are you unfamiliar with the topic but besides that you indicate that she is uncapable of admitting a mistake which nobody can be sure she made. You should be embarassed, seriously.

TheHemps · Oct 15, 2012

LeeRex said:
I think it was her mistake...hit the throttle instead of the brake...done it myself...nearly put the car through the back of the garage..
Remember the Audi 5000 scandal a few years ago where a driver actually ran over and killed one of her kids. That woman blamed the car because the truth was just too hard to face....others have run through the front of restaurants or darted through red lights.

Bloody hell, I'd hate to see the backlash you would have gotten if you'd actually said something offensive.

Don't worry about it mate, these people seem to have forgotten that it was put down to driver error about a week after it happened, but hey, don't let the truth get in the way of a good yarn and all that.

Have no doubt, there is a different attitude here than would have been if it was, say, Max Chilton. The world has made them so terrified of being called an -ism that they've completely ignored anything that points to it being MDV's fault, which as has been stated by Virgin, it was.

Although it wasn't her getting the wrong peddle, it was her not knowing what anti-stall is or how it works. Still her fault though.

TheHemps · Oct 15, 2012

Kevin Ascher said:
What a disgusting comment.
If you had taken more than one minute making yourself familiar with the topic, you'd know that it is impossible to reach the brake with your right foot or the accelerator with your left foot and I highly doubt that she confused which foot is for the brake!
Not only are you unfamiliar with the topic but besides that you indicate that she is uncapable of admitting a mistake which nobody can be sure she made. You should be embarassed, seriously.

I think you should be embarrassed. Seeing as he's right and you're wrong.

What is it with the internet? Why not just make your point and shut the hell up? Whats with all this ''You should be embarrassed'' crap?

You made your point, great. Now shut up if you've got nothing better to say.

F****g Kids. Sick of 'em.

Kevin Ascher · Oct 16, 2012

Chris Hempsall said:
I think you should be embarrassed. Seeing as he's right and you're wrong.

What is it with the internet? Why not just make your point and shut the hell up? Whats with all this ''You should be embarrassed'' crap?

You made your point, great. Now shut up if you've got nothing better to say.

F****g Kids. Sick of 'em.

I was just about to look at your silly post to see how I could emphasize how obvious its invalidity is.

Instead, I realized that you made your only point which was to say that I didn't stick to the facts and instead insulted the original poster. You then seriously go on and insult me at least 3 times in your post which included 5 lines. Talk about being authentic.

You argue that it's a bad thing about the internet that people add moral things to an argument. Anyway, is there anything which requires more sensibility than somebody losing their eye?

My point saying that he was to be embarassed was not about him making a mistake.
It was aimed at him arguing she might just not want to face the truth, which is a disgusting thing to say unless you are definitely

Way more explanation than you deserve.
And no, I will not look into this thread anymore and will not reply even if you come up with an oh so witty and insulting second last line again.

Scott L Harrison · Oct 11, 2013

Very sad news indeed after comming through a very horrific accident

Formula 1 reserve racing driver Maria De Villota has been found dead in a hotel room in Seville, Spain.
A police spokeswoman said: "We are assuming it was a natural death, but we cannot confirm anything."
Spaniard De Villota, 33, lost her right eye in a crash last July while testing for the Marussia team.
She suffered severe head and facial injuries after colliding with a lorry at Duxford Aerodrome, (external) Cambridgeshire, but had been cleared to resume driving.

A statement from her family said: "Dear friends: Maria is gone. She had to go to heaven with all of the angels. Give thanks to God for the year-and-a-half we had left together."

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/24487701