Formula 1 stars pay tribute as former driver Justin Wilson dies following IndyCar crash

There was yet another unfortunate shadow cast over the world of motorsport last night as the family of British racer Justin Wilson confirmed his death.

The 37-year-old IndyCar driver, the winner of seven races during a 12-season career that saw him drive for the Williams Formula One team in 2003 before heading to the US open-wheel series. Wilson suffered fatal head injuries during the season's penultimate race at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania on Sunday, when debris - specifically the nose cone - from the car of then race leader Sage Karam - struck Wilson as he attempted to avoid the accident. He was taken to hospital in a helicopter but died from his injuries last night. Team boss Michael Andretti said Wilson was "a tremendous racer, a valuable member of the team and respected representative to our sport", while fellow driver Ed Carpenter added:

"Days like this are extremely hard on all of us. Justin was a great professional driver and extremely good at his craft. Beyond that, he was a great guy. One of the few, if only, guys who really was a friend of everyone in the paddock. Everyone respected him for the way he carried himself."

Wilson is the first fatality at an IndyCar event since 2011, when fellow Brit Dan Wheldon died at that year's season-ending race at Las Vegas. Tributes poured in from the world of motor racing, including from Wilson's many friends in Formula One: https://twitter.com/jpmontoya/status/635986426799243264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/JensonButton/status/636058532996063234 https://twitter.com/JensonButton/status/636061622096805888 https://twitter.com/MBrundleF1/status/636073832810442752 https://twitter.com/WilliamsRacing/status/636059781409730560 https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/636054719715258368 https://twitter.com/nigelmansell/status/635989117302517765