Marussia test driver De Villota loses eye after Duxford crash

De Villota in Monte Carlo earlier this year (Getty Images)

Marussia's Spanish test driver Maria De Villota has lost her right eye and remains critically ill in hospital after surgery for facial and head injuries, her Formula One team said today.

De Villota was involved in an accident while driving the car for the first time on Tuesday in a straight-line test at Duxford airfield in the east of England ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix.

"It is with great sadness that I must report that, due to the injuries she sustained, Maria has lost her right eye," team principal John Booth said in a statement.

Reuters