BRUSSELS, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- French racing driver Anthoine Hubert has died at the age of 22 after an accident during the Formula 2 feature race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on Saturday.
Having gone off track avoiding another car, Hubert's Arden was hit at high speed by the Sauber of Juan Manuel Correa at the fast Raidillon sweep on lap two of the race.
The race was halted immediately after the crash, and was canceled a few minutes later as the seriousness of the situation became clear, with Sunday's sprint race also being canceled.
Motorsport governing body the FIA confirmed that Hubert had succumbed to his injuries at 18:35 local time, over an hour after the accident.
Hubert had won two races in F2 this season, and was lying eighth in the championship as the series' second-highest rookie driver. He graduated to F2 after winning the 2018 GP3 championship, and was also a member of Renault F1's young driver program.
News of his death prompted many within motorsport to offer their condolences. Former F1 driver Fernando Alonso posted on Twitter: "What a sad afternoon. I have no words. It hurts the heart. Rest in peace, champ."
F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton wrote on Instagram: "This is devastating. God rest your soul Anthoine. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family today."
A statement from Renault read: "Antoine was a huge talent who also brought great energy and positivity to his championship, his teams and the Renault Sport Academy.
"His smile and sunny personality lit up our formidable group of young drivers, who had formed tight and enduring bonds.
"His strong results in F2 this season, including wins on home soil in Monaco and France, inspired not just the other recruits but also the wider Renault Sport Racing group."
