Crash victim Sean Edwards starred in Formula One racing film Rush

THE driver killed in a Brisbane crash had starred in the film Rush, playing his own father who saved Niki Lauda from a blazing car.

Rush driver Sean Edwardsand the Dellow Racing 996 series Porsche in which he died.

THE racing driver killed in a Brisbane crash had starred in the Hollywood film Rush, recreating his own father's efforts to save the Formula One world champion Niki Lauda from a blazing car.

Sean Edwards, who was leading this year's Porsche Supercup championship, died when the car in which he was acting as an instructor crashed into barriers and burst into flames at the Queensland Raceway, near Brisbane.

The driver, 20-year-old Brisbane man Will Holzheimer, was in intensive care yesterday after rescue crews spent three hours extricating him from the wreckage of the Porsche 996.

Edwards, 26, last year worked as a stuntman on Ron Howard's hit film Rush, which chronicled the rivalry between Lauda and the British driver James Hunt in the 1976 season.

He portrayed his father, the former Formula One driver Guy Edwards, who rescued Lauda from his blazing Ferrari after it crashed into barriers during the German Grand Prix. Guy Edwards was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal for his role in the rescue.

In his final post on Twitter, Sean Edwards wrote about looking forward to the two-day private training session for young drivers during which he was killed. "Time to hit Queensland Raceway today, should be fun, hope there aren't too many kangaroos," he wrote.

David Coulthard, the British Formula One veteran, led tributes to Edwards. "Shocking news about Sean Edwards passing, top man and super talented racer," he wrote on Twitter.

Edwards was born in London and lived in Monaco as part of the racing set that includes the British drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Monaco was the scene of his finest hour this season when he won the Porsche Supercup race that supported the Monaco Grand Prix. He was scheduled to take part in the Porsche Supercup title decider at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next month, hoping to add the championship to his victories in the prestigious Nurburgring and Dubai 24-Hour races this year.

Allan McNish, the three-time Le Mans winner and a near-neighbour in Monaco, said: "This was probably his strongest year in racing. This was a breakthrough year for him. He was showing what talent he had, but had maybe never had the opportunity to actually display it.

"He was a guy who loved life, loved racing, loved cycling, was strong and fit. He was just a really nice young guy who was making his mark on the sport, and socially a really good guy to be around."

Edwards began his racing career in Formula Ford in 2003 and went on to compete in Formula Renault UK, British GT, the FIA GT3 Championship, which he won in 2006. He embarked on his Porsche Supercup career in 2008.

His accident occurred three days after the death of Maria de Villota, the Spanish driver, who died as a result of injuries sustained last year in a Formula One test accident for the Marussia team in Cambridgeshire. She was 33.

Nico Rosberg, the Mercedes Formula One driver, wrote on Twitter: "Sad period in the racing world due to the loss of Maria de Villota and Sean Edwards, whom I went to school with."

Dan Wheldon, from Emberton, near Milton Keynes, was fatally injured in an IndyCar race two years ago. Henry Surtees, the son of John, the 1964 Formula One world champion, died in a freak accident at Brands Hatch four years ago.

Scott McLaughlin, a fellow racing driver, tweeted: "Our sport is dangerous, we are very lucky to be still here telling a tale. RIP Sean Edwards."

Australian Formula One star Mark Webber was amongst scores of fellow drivers and racing fans who paid tribute to Edwards, tweeting: ''Way way too early...What a talent. Always enjoyed watching him drive at the F1 weekends #RIPSeanEdwards.''

The Times