Tragedy struck at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday when Formula Regional hopeful Dilano Van't Hoff was killed in a crash that occurred in the second race of the junior series.
The Dutchman appeared to lose control of his car at the start of the Kemmel straight just seconds after FRECA title contender Tim Tramintz had spun on the exit of Raidillon.
The latter's car was left stranded off the track and out of harm's way when Van't Hoff's spinning car suddenly appeared through the heavy curtain of spray kicked up by the field.
In a scene eerily reminiscent of the 2019 horror crash in F2 at Spa that claimed the life of Alpine hopeful Anthoine Hubert, Van't Hoff's car was hit at full speed by the car of Adam Fitzgerald.
"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," read a statement from Van't Hoff's team, 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."
In 2021, Van't Hoff made his single-seater debut when he competed in the Formula 4 United Arab Emirates winter series.
Despite a strong performance, he narrowly missed out on the championship title by just one point, finishing in second place behind Enzo Trulli, the son of former F1 driver Jarno Trulli.
That year, Van't Hoff showcased his skills in Spanish Formula 4, where he emerged as the dominant champion. He also took part in a few races in Formula Regional, setting the stage for his full-time transition to the series the following year.
Remaining loyal to the MP team that helped him secure the Spanish F4 crown, Van't Hoff had a respectable rookie season, finishing 19th overall and even achieving a podium finish at Barcelona.
In Austria, Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali paid tribute on social media to Van’t Hoff following the young hopeful's tragic passing.
"We are so sad to learn of the passing of Dilano van 't Hoff today at Spa-Francorchamps," he wrote. "Dilano died in pursuit of his dream to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
"Along with the entire motorsport community, our thoughts are with his family and loved ones."
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