Spa-Francorchamps mourns the passing of CEO Maillet

Spa-Francorchamps circuit director, Nathalie Maillet, has been killed in an alleged murder-suicide along with her husband and another woman.

Maillet, 51, was found at her home along with the bodies of two others, one said to be her husband.

A statement from the public prosecutor read: “At 00:10, the bodies of two women and one man were discovered by the police in a house in Gouvy, all three presenting gunshot wounds.

“According to our information, the male individual voluntarily used his firearm to kill both women, including his wife, before killing himself.”

Maillet was appointed CEO of the Belgian track back in 2016, instrumental in upgrading the ageing facilities.

The circuit is currently undergoing an 80 million Euro facelift.

“It is with great sadness that the team of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit have been informed of the death of Nathalie Maillet, CEO,” said a brief statement from the circuit.

“On this very sad day, the whole staff wish to present their most sincere condolences to Nathalie’s family and friends.

“The circuit, but also motor racing, has lost today a passionate woman, strong in her convictions and always looking to the future.”

Melchior Wathelet, chairman of the board of directors of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, added: “My thoughts are with Nathalie’s family, her parents, her loved ones and her teams.

“I know how much this news will upset our teams and I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the entire circuit team on behalf of the entire board.

“Today, we are losing a highly respected lady, a true leader who will be greatly missed. Nathalie had become the face of the circuit, she embodied the passion for racing that we all share.”

Formula 1 paid tribute to the 51-year-old.

We are deeply saddened by the awful news that our friend Nathalie Maillet has died. The whole of Formula 1 sends its deepest condolences to her family and friends. The motorsport community has lost an incredible person and we will all miss her greatly.

— F1 Media (@F1Media) August 15, 2021

The thoughts of everybody at Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team are with the grieving family and friends of Nathalie Maillet.

Nathalie was CEO at Circuit de Spa Francorchamps and a highly respected figure in the sport.

Her loss will be felt by the entire motorsport community. 💚 https://t.co/GokEfSaY0Y

— Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) August 15, 2021

The FIA added: “The FIA has been saddened to learn of the tragic death of Nathalie Maillet. Nathalie was the Chief Executive Officer at Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps since 2016 during which time she oversaw major development of the iconic race track which hosts a number of FIA championships. On behalf of the entire motorsport community, we wish to extend our condolences to her family and friends.”

PlanetF1 sends our condolences to all Nathalie’s family and friends.