Updated

Spanish police have confirmed that racing driver Maria de Villota has been found dead in a hotel room in Seville, and say it appears she died of natural causes. She was 33.

De Villota was seriously injured last year in a crash during testing for the Marussia Formula One team, losing her right eye and sustaining other serious head injuries.

She had driven in several different forms of racing in Europe, including the World Touring Car Championship in 2006 and 2007 plus the Superleague open-wheeler series.

She was the daughter of Emilio de Villota, who competed in Formula One between 1976 and 1982.