Following the deaths of Richard Lloyd and David Leslie at the weekend, the British Racing Drivers' Club has issued the following:

The British Racing Drivers' Club is deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the untimely deaths of prominent BRDC Members Richard Lloyd and David Leslie. Former British Touring Car racer Leslie and sportscar team boss and racer Lloyd were among five people killed in a plane crash in Kent on Sunday afternoon.

Robert Brooks, Chairman of the BRDC, said, "It is a tragedy that David and Richard, along with the two pilots and a young technician, perished in such terrible circumstances. On behalf of all our Members, the Club would like to express its sincerest condolences to their family and friends.

"It is a very sad day for the motor sport industry. Both David and Richard will be sadly missed as friends and Members of the British Racing Drivers' Club."

Damon Hill OBE, President of the BRDC, said, "On behalf of all BRDC Members, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of David and Richard at this very sad time. Both men were much loved Members of our Club. This accident is a shock to all of us and we can only think of all those that have been touched by this tragedy.

"On a personal note, it was my great pleasure and privilege to have known both men, and Richard generously gave me an opportunity to drive one of his cars at Le Mans in 1989 at a time when I had no money and no prospects. I am entirely grateful to him for that. Both men were a credit to the Club and motor sport but above all they were thoroughly decent men who loved the sport. They will be much missed."

After kart championship and single seater success, David Leslie became successful in sportscar racing, finishing second in the C2 class of the World Sportscar Championship for Ecurie Ecosse in 1987. David enjoyed a 13-year British Touring Car Championship career, w inning nine races and finishing second in the championship behind Frenchman Laurent Aiello in 1999. The 54-year-old Scot raced for six teams - BMW, Vauxhall, Mazda, Honda, Nissan and Proton - before retiring from top line racing in 2003 and had since worked as a commentator for Eurosport.

He still found time to win in the Britcar Series and at the time of the accident was en route to France, with Richard Lloyd, in his capacity as Apex Motorsport's Development Driver for the Jaguar XKR GT3. David leaves a wife, Jane, and two sons.

His friend Richard Lloyd enjoyed success both as a leading driver and a team boss after starting racing in 1967. His personal successes include the British Touring Car Championship, famously with Sir Stirling Moss and Martin Brundle driving for him in 1980, before winning the title for Audi in 1996.

His team Apex Motorsport, which began as GTi Engineering in 1977, had enjoyed successes in the Brands Hatch 1000km and under the name of Richard Lloyd Racing, at Le Mans. The team scored a second place at the race in 1985, in which Richard himself shared the driving with Jonathan Palmer and James Weaver.

But his biggest success was at the helm of the re-named Apex Motorsport, as the architects of Bentley's Le Mans comeback, culminating in a brilliant win in 2003. In 2006 Apex Motorsport developed and ran the Jaguar XKR in the FIA GT3 Championship. It was en route to France, to test the car for the new season, that he tragically died alongside David Leslie, the crew and a team technician. Richard leaves a wife, Philippa, and three daughters.