Legendary British Formula One racing driver Stirling Moss has died at the age of 90, his wife confirmed on Sunday.

It is reported that Moss had been suffering from a chest infection he contracted just before Christmas 2016 and there is no indication that it was coronavirus-related.

His wife Susie 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."

Moss is regarded as the greatest Formula One driver never to win a world championship.

The Londoner won 16 F1 races and in a seven year period between 1955 and 1961 he was F1 championship runner-up on four occasions and third-placed three times.

He lost the 1958 championship after protesting against the disqualification of title rival Mike Hawthorn at the final race of the season.

In all, Moss won 212 of the 529 races he entered in various categories throughout his career which spanned from 1948 to 1962.

That also included what many consider to be one of the best performances in motor racing history at Italy's thousand-mile Mille Miglia road race in 1955.

Moss recently spoke about that race on the occasion of its 6oth anniversary.

"I think my best race certainly was the Mille Miglia," said Moss.

"Going a thousand miles on the Italian roads which weren't closed, I mean, trucks were out there, medical vehicles and all sorts of people moving around to get different view points.

"I got this guy Denis Jenkinson, my navigator, because in no way was I going to learn a thousand miles.

"We made this incredible thing which we called a 'toilet roll'. He read that and interpreted that and did hand signals which of course I could see out of the corner of my eye. He was like a guide dog.

"The only guarantee we had was the finest car ever built!"