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Motorsport
Motorsport
Gary Watkins

18-year-old Dilano van 't Hoff dies in Spa Formula Regional crash

The death of the 18-year-old MP Motorsport driver was announced by FRECA more than two and a half hours after the second of the two single-seater races on the bill of the Spa 24 Hours round of the GT World Endurance Challenge ended with a red flag.

No details of the accident were revealed by FRECA in the short statement.

The race, round eight of the 2023 series, was stopped on what should have been the final lap of a race held in wet and worsening conditions.

A multi-car accident was triggered when Tim Tramnitz, who was running second, lost control of his Tatuus-Renault FR-19 one-make single-seater at the top of Raidillon immediately after the safety car was called in ahead of the final lap.

There was more contact further down the pack behind Tramnitz in which van 't Hoff was involved.

Van 't Hoff appeared to lose control of his car in the chaos of the first accident, and was hit at high speed by a rival car while stopped in the middle of the straight.

"We are devastated at the loss of one of our brightest Dutch talents, who brought so much energy to our team during the years he raced with us," said MP Motorsport. "Dilano has been a part of our racing family since his motorsport debut with MP back in 2021.

"We offer our sincere condolences to Dilano's family and his loved ones, and are in full support of them and our team members who have lost not only a driver but a friend as well."

Adam Fitzgerald, who was also involved in the incident, is in a stable condition in hospital after the incident according to his team Race Performance Motorsport.

Van 't Hoff started car racing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship in 2021 and went on to win Spanish F4 title the same year with MP.

He contested the majority of last year's FRECA series with the Dutch team, scoring his only podium at Barcelona in October.

His best result this year was a seventh position on the opening weekend of the series at Imola in April.

The second race at Spa was won by Prema driver Andrea Antonelli, while Tramnitz was classified second on count back.

FRECA and the Automobile Club d'Italia that sanctions the series, the circuit at Spa, and the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium and Stephane Ratel Organisation which jointly organise the 24 Hours all expressed their condolences to the van 't Hoff's family, team and friends.

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