Sir Stirling Moss has died aged 90 following a long illness, his wife Susan announced today.

The motor racing legend “died as he lived, looking wonderful” in the early hours of Easter Day, Lady Moss said.

Lady Moss was at the racing driver’s bedside as he died, having nursed him through a long illness.

She told the Daily Mail: “He died as he lived, looking wonderful. He simply tired in the end and he just closed his beautiful eyes and that was that.”

She added: “It was one lap too many. He just closed his eyes.”

Stirling gained his first works contact through Lofty England and with Jaguar. Driving a C-Type at Reims he recorded the first race win ever for a disc braked car.

His first works formula car was the HWM which later won the 1954 Australian Grand Prix in 1954 driven by Lex Davision and powered by a Jaguar engine. It remains in that country.

He rose to fame after the Second World War and went on to be acclaimed as the greatest all-round racer ever.

Though Moss famously never won the Formula One title, he finished runner-up four times and came third three times in a career during which he won 16 Grands Prix.

FI commentator Martin Brundle paid tribute to Sir Stirling, calling him a “mighty racer and gentleman”.

We will have a full in-depth tribute to the great man in our next edition.

Rest in peace Stirling and our condolences to Lady Suzi and son Elliott.