A Formula 1 boss and her lesbian lover have been shot dead by her husband after he found them in bed together, before he then turned the gun on himself.
Nathalie Maillet, 51, was found dead alongside her lover Ann Lawrence Durviaux, 53, at her home in Gouvy, Belgium, on Sunday.
The pair were allegedly shot dead by Maillet’s husband Franz Dubois, who phoned the police and then turned the gun on himself.
Police said they were treating the deaths as a double murder and a suicide, but could not confirm infidelity as the motive.
Dubois was aware of Maillet’s lesbian relationships and her sexuality was an open secret, according to DH Sport.
Formula 1 boss Nathalie Maillet and her lesbian lover have been shot dead by her husband after he found them in bed together in Gouvy, Belgium
Maillet and her lower were allegedly shot dead by her husband Franz Dubois (pictured) who then turned the gun on himself
Maillet (not pictured) and her lover Ann Lawrence Durviaux (right) were found dead in Gouvy, Belgium, on Sunday
The news was confirmed after Maillet’s colleagues raised the alarm when she failed to turn up for the last day of the Ypres Rally event, part of the World Rally Championship, on Sunday.
Maillet has been the CEO of the Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit since 2016 and was involved in the modernisation of the circuit, which hosted its first Grand Prix in 1925.
Dubois was also a well-known figure in the world of motorsport both as a team owner and as the co-founder of the VW Fun Cup series.
The pair were married for 17 years and both spent brief spells as racecar drivers – Maillet more successfully than Dubois.
Maillet competed in seven 25 Heures VW Fun cup races and stood on the podium five times, winning the event in 2006.
The public prosecutor said in a statement: ‘At 00:10, the bodies of two women and one man were discovered by the police in a house in Gouvy, all three presenting gunshot wounds.
‘According to our information, the male individual voluntarily used his firearm to kill both women, including his wife, before killing himself.’
Maillet was involved in the modernisation of the Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit, which hosted its first Grand Prix in 1925
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is the site of the Belgian Grand Prix, set to be held at the end of August
The winding track in Belgium is home to the Uniroyal Fun Cup 25 Hours of Spa, one of the longest motor races in the world
Melchior Wathelet, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, said: ‘ My thoughts are with Nathalie’s family, her parents, her relatives but also her teams.
‘I know how this news will upset her staff and I wish on behalf of the entire Board of Directors to offer my sincere condolences to the entire Circuit team.
‘Today we are losing a very great lady, a motorsports lover and enthusiast, a true leader who will be sorely missed. Nathalie had become the face of the circuit, she embodied this passion for racing that we all share.’
Former F1 boss Jean Todt also paid tribute to Maillet, writing on Twitter: ‘She embodied this high place of motorsport. All my thoughts and solidarity go out to her family, friends and the Spa-Francorchamps teams.’
An investigation involving forensic teams and ballistics experts was ongoing.
Maillet has been the CEO of the Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit since 2016 and is well known in the racing world