Formula 1 superfan found dead after Japanese Grand Prix

A Brazilian Formula 1 superfan has been found dead in her Tokyo hotel after the Japanese Grand Prix had been run.

A Formula 1 fan was found dead at her hotel in Tokyo - tragically just hours before she was due to fly back home.

Amanda Borges da Silva, 30, who had travelled from Brazil to Japan to watch the Grand Prix was found dead after a fire was extinguished at the building, The Sun reports.

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Her friend James Fernandes told Brazilian media that she was about to fly back from Japan to Brazil on Thursday.

“She was located near Narita airport in Tokyo, it was in the early hours of yesterday morning. Her flight was on Thursday. She had been out of Brazil since March,” he said.

Amanda, a researcher and avid Formula One fan, had travelled to Japan to watch the Grand Prix on April 6 - won by Max Verstappen.

Japanese media reported that she had been in a building that had caught fire and that authorities have arrested a Sri Lankan man who is thought to have left the premises without extinguishing the fire.

The cause of her death remains unclear.

She was about to fly home.

She travelled to Japan for the GP.

Amanda reportedly lived in Sao Paulo and had a Bachelor’s degree in literature, along with a Master’s degree in linguistics.

She shared her love for Formula One with her followers on social media.

Following news of her death, one of her followers wrote: “Thank you for all the reels, memes and all the chats, especially those about Formula One, that we talked about.

“I promise to never forget you, my dear friend. Watch over us from wherever you are.”

Her family have reportedly asked the Brazilian authorities for assistance in repatriating her body.

She was an avid F1 fan.

Friends and family paid tribute to the 30yo.

Her death came after Max Verstappen became the first driver in history to win four straight races at Suzuka.

The Red Bull superstar beat McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who finished second and third, respectively.

Since then Piastri has won the following three races to leapfrog his teammate and Verstappen in the championship standings.

While Piastri took the chequered flag at the recent Miami Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton stole the limelight with several heated messages over the team radio.

The seven-time world champion has refused to apologise to his Ferrari bosses following the brutal outbursts.

Hamilton was not happy with Ferrari’s strategy. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The 40-year-old lost his cool after being told to hold position behind Charles Leclerc despite running on the quicker medium compound tyre as he wanted to catch Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.

He blasted down the team radio to engineer Riccardo Adami: “You want me to sit here the whole race?” with Adami then replying: “I’ll come back to you. Wanna keep the DRS to Charles.”

Hamilton added: “This is not good team work, that’s all I’m going to say …

“In China I got out of the way when you were on a different strategy … Have a tea break while you’re at it! Come on.”

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Formula 1 superfan found dead after Japanese Grand Prix