“Heartbreaking,” Lewis Hamilton breaks silence on the tragic death of 18-year-old Dutch F4 driver Dilano Van’t Hoff at Spa

Lewis Hamilton took to Instagram to share his condolences with the friends and family of Dilano Van't Hoff.

“Heartbreaking,” Lewis Hamilton breaks silence on the tragic death of 18-year-old Dutch F4 driver Dilano Van’t Hoff at Spa

Lewis Hamilton and Dilano Van't Hoff (Credits: The Independent)

Dilano Van’t Hoff was an 18-year-old Dutch motorsport driver who won the 2021 F4 Spanish Championship. He lost his life due to a horrific crash while competing in the second race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA). The motorsport world expressed their heartfelt condolences over the tragedy. F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, offered condolences to Dilano Van’t Hoff’s family. 

 The F4 drivers were racing in wet conditions and poor visibility. Van’t Hoff’s car spun after contact with other cars while racing. The tragic death of the teenager has shaken the motorsport community. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton shared a message on Instagram following the death of Van’t Hoff. He reshared F1’s post of the F4 driver and added a heartfelt message.

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Hamilton stated, “Heartbreaking. My thoughts are with his family.” Apart from him, other drivers and teams also paid their tributes. Mercedes AMG Petronas tweeted, “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Dilano van ‘t Hoff following today’s tragic incident at the Formula Regional European Championship event at Spa.” They all have expressed their shock and sadness due to this incident.

Related: Seven tragic deaths during a race at Spa that shocked the Motor racing world

The entire F1 world is with Dilano Van’t Hoff’s family and loved ones

Dilano Van't Hoff (Credits: The Guardian)
Dilano Van’t Hoff (Credits: The Guardian)

Lewis Hamilton’s teammate George Russell also shared a message on Twitter. The 25-year-old stated he was saddened to hear of Dilano’s passing and sent his thoughts and prayers to the late driver’s family and loved ones. While the motorsport world is mourning the loss of young talent, this is not the first time. This is the second death at Spa in four years. In 2019, Anthoine Hubert succumbed to his injuries following a horrific crash.

The loss of this promising talent, Dilano Van’t Hoff serves as a reminder that racing is a dangerous sport and safety measures should be taken. Double world champion Fernando Alonso stated that it should not be repeated in the future. He urged the FIA to find solutions to reduce the spray of cars under wet conditions. In extreme weather like this, the drivers barely see anything, which often results in accidents. 

Other F1 drivers like reigning world champion Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, and Mick Schumacher shared their condolences. The thoughts and prayers of the motorsport community are with Dilano Van’t Hoff’s family and friends. 

With the passing of the teenager whose dream was to reach the pinnacle of motorsport, one can only hope it would be a wake-up call. It is a dangerous sport, and racing in wet conditions should be unacceptable. However, it remains to see what measures will be taken after this. 

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