Motor-racing legend Sir Stirling Moss has reportedly died at the age of 90.
He is understood to have passed away in the early hours of Easter morning at the home in Mayfair, London, after a long illness.
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His wife, Lady Moss, was at his bedside in his final moments. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said he looked “wonderful” as he slipped away.
He ‘died as he lived’
And at the end, she said, he “simply tired” and “closed his eyes”.
She told the publication: “He died as he lived, looking wonderful.
“He simply tired in the end and he just closed his beautiful eyes and that was that.”
Over the course of his long career in racing, Sir Stirling entered 529 across a number of competition categories.
Of those he entered, he won 212. Pundits have described him as the ‘the greatest driver never to win the World Championship’.
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A crash in 1962 effectively forced him to retire from top-level motorsport.
After the accident at Goodwood, he was in a coma for a month and partially paralysed for six.
Tributes to the racing legend
Tributes to the late star poured in on social media.
Daytime TV favourite and Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan wrote: “RIP Sir Stirling Moss, 90. Fantastic driver – a ‘racer’s racer’, and a dashing, debonair character.”
Gyles Brandreth tweeted: “Very few people see their names enter the language. He was one. ‘Who do you think you are? Stirling Moss?’ There’s fame for you. RIP Sir Stirling Moss who died this Easter morning, aged 90.”
He just closed his beautiful eyes and that was that.
One social media user wrote: “He’s not gone, he’s just a lap ahead of us all.”
Another said: “Legend is a word bandied about these days but Sir Sterling Moss was born and lived for that description. A racing legend, a real gentleman. [He was] liked and respected by all that had the privilege to meet him. My thoughts are with Lady Moss and family. RIP Sterling, for you the race is done.”
He’s not gone he’s just a lap ahead of us all 👏🏻👏🏻
— JamesCarter (@jcrtrx) April 12, 2020
Legend is a word bandied about these days but Sir Sterling Moss was born and lived for that description A racing legend a real gentleman liked and respected by all that had the privilege to meet him my thoughts are with Lady Moss & family RIP Sterling for you the race is done
— christopher poole (@christo03432558) April 12, 2020
A third tweeted: “OMG, one of life’s gentlemen. And a bloody [good] racing driver to boot. RIP Sterling.”
RIP to ‘a lovely man
Someone else put: “RIP to a lovely man. Sending [prayers] and thoughts to his family.”
“Met him once,” said another. “Absolute Gentleman. God Bless.”
@Sandyann641 OMG One of life’s gentlemen. And a bloody racing driver to boot. RIP Sterling.
— Adam Picard-Knight (@KnightPicard) April 12, 2020
RIP to a lovely man. Sending 🙏🙏 and thoughts to his family 💙
— Annie (@sinfonia53) April 12, 2020
Met him once. Absolute Gentleman. God Bless.
— franky hall (@foxyfranky) April 12, 2020
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