Former McLaren doctor Aki Hintsa has died at the age of 58 following a battle with cancer.
Hintsa joined McLaren in 1998 and worked closely with Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton during an 11-year period as the team's doctor. Prior to working in F1, he worked in Africa for a number of years as a missionary doctor and developed many of his training philosophies while observing the routines of elite Ethiopian distance runners.
Hamilton issued a tribute on his Facebook page on Wednesday:
Hintsa made his last appearance at a grand prix in Monza this year before passing away on November 15. The following statement was posted by the co-founder of Hintsa Performance, Jussi Räisänen, on the company's website.
"It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we announce the passing away of Dr. Aki Hintsa, the founder of Hintsa Performance. Aki passed away very peacefully surrounded by his whole family after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
"Aki will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, clients and the numerous people around the world whose lives he has touched during the years.
"We have now lost a very dear friend and colleague, a truly great man, whose impact in this world will be bigger than we even know today. Aki's life-long mission to help people reach better life will now continue by his beloved colleagues.
"We kindly ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."
An obituary to Hintsa can be found on the McLaren website.