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F1 Drivers, Teams Honor ‘Groundbreaking’ Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II, who was coronated in 1953, was the UK’s longest-serving monarch.

Madeline Coleman

F1 Drivers, Teams Honor ‘Groundbreaking’ Queen Elizabeth II
F1 Drivers, Teams Honor ‘Groundbreaking’ Queen Elizabeth II /

The Royal Family confirmed Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s monarch for 70 years, died at Balmoral that afternoon. 

The 96-year-old was “under medical supervision” after doctors raised concerns about her health, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. According to BBC, the queen’s children gathered at the Scottish estate along with Prince William and Harry, the Duke of Sussex. 

In wake of the news, tributes poured from the Formula One community. F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said in a statement, “For more than seven decades she dedicated her life to public service with dignity and devotion and inspired so many around the world. Formula 1 sends its deepest condolences to the Royal Family and to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”

Williams driver Alex Albon, who was born in London, was one of the first drivers to speak out on the matter. He posted on Twitter, “An amazing role model and total dedication to a lifetime of public service. Thank you and rest in peace, Her Majesty the Queen.” 

Queen Elizabeth II, who was coronated in 1953, was the country’s longest-serving monarch. Her son, Charles who was the former Prince of Wales, will take over as King at age 73. The queen recently decreased her amount of public appearances, and one of her last major duties was appointing the country’s next prime minister—Liz Truss. 

“Heartfelt sympathies for the loss of a groundbreaking woman. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family, the British people and our British colleagues in the paddock. May she Rest In Peace,” Ferrari said on Twitter.

George Russell, one of the few British drivers on the grid, said in a statement, “I’m so sad to hear about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her devotion to our country and her gracious leadership were inspirational to so many generations of people in the UK and around the world. My family and I send our deepest condolences to The Royal Family and to all those who admired her service to our country for seven decades. Rest in Peace.”

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff also shared, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, an inspiring figure who dedicated her life to public service with integrity and quiet leadership for seventy years. The impact she made in the UK and around the world will be felt for generations to come and the values she stood for are the best of all human values: dignity, respect and compassion. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the UK and the Commonwealth.”

Williams Racing, whose founders Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head were knighted in 1999 and 2015 respectively, penned on social media: “Williams Racing joins the world in mourning the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, which HM Queen Elizabeth II was devoted to for more than seventy years of inspirational public service.”

Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll wrote a lengthy statement of his own: “On behalf of the entire Aston Martin family, I wish to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen. We remember the light she shone across the world; the people she brought together; the many lives she touched.

“We remember, too, her sense of duty – an unfailing devotion both to the United Kingdom and to the Commonwealth. Hers was a life lived beyond self. United in grief, we remember her great life – long in years and huge in achievement. To the royal family, we offer our deepest condolences as we join the world in mourning.”

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Madeline Coleman
MADELINE COLEMAN

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