Tributes: David Leslie and Richard Lloyd.

Colin Hilton, MSA chief executive:

"David Leslie was a hugely popular figure in almost every formula of motor racing in Britain and had been a member of the MSA's Safety Advisory Panel for the last four years. His long and successful driving career had not yet come to an end, but he was always keen to use his experience to help younger drivers coming through the sport. Just this week, he had been involved in selecting the most promising young talent in the UK to join the MSA's British Race Elite scheme.

"Richard Lloyd was equally well regarded throughout the sport. Having been a successful driver, it was as a team manager and owner that Richard really made his name, working with some of the best drivers in the world and winning numerous titles. But the pinnacle of his achievements surely came with the Le Mans-winning Bentley team in 2003, which was a great success for British motor sport.

"They were both lovely, gentle people and the entire motor sport community will be shocked and saddened by this tragic news. Our thoughts and prayers are with the five families at this time."

Robert Brooks, BRDC chairman:

"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, BRDC president:

"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."

Alan Gow, BTCC series director:

"It was my privilege to know both David and Richard, which began during their involvement in the BTCC and continued throughout the ensuing years.

"David of course was a great competitor within the BTCC for many years - always exciting to watch, fiercely competitive and incredibly passionate about his sport.

"Richard I never knew as a driver, but as the team owner of Audi Sport UK - and he was a thoroughly likeable person, of real integrity and determination.

"The BTCC is a close-knit community and we mourn the tragic loss of both David and Richard. However our sense of loss is nothing compared to those of their families and our thoughts go out to them at this terrible time."

Andy Priaulx, WTCC champion:

"I was immensely saddened to hear yesterday's news that two of the gentlemen of our sport had lost their lives in a tragic plane crash. I knew both well and counted them among my friends, as well as being people who I admired enormously.

"I grew up watching David racing and he was a source of inspiration to me. He proved that good guys can win championships by being hard but fair racers. When he turned his hand to commentating, and was the voice of the FIA WTCC, I was equally impressed with his expertise and I know his comments were always well respected in our paddocks.

"Richard very successfully made the transition from racing driver to race team owner. I met him through our mutual friend Will Hoy and kept in touch constant touch with him, only recently talking about an event we planned to do in Will's name. I know from David how much Richard was respected in his managerial role, and one day would have loved to race for him.

"I know there will be an air of sadness in the WTCC paddock this weekend in Puebla, Mexico. I shall be thinking of the families of both these great guys - David's wife, Jane, and her two sons and Richard's wife, Philippa, and her three daughters - and will be wearing a black armband as a mark of respect."

Martin Haven, Eurosport commentator:

"His technical knowledge was second to none and his ability to instinctively analyse a situation was unerringly accurate. It's a rare thing in a sport such as motor racing not to make enemies and it says everything about David that he simply had none.

"In life, as in racing, he believed in fair play and treated everyone with courtesy and exemplary good manners."

Sir Jackie Stewart:

"Scotland has been sorely hit over the last twelve months with the deaths of Colin McRae and now David Leslie.

"David was a highly skilled and talented racing driver who was also an excellent engineer and technical expert. He was a proud Scot who represented our country in a dignified and stylish fashion."

Credit: BBC Sport

Bernard Buss, Scottish Motor Racing Club:

"David will be greatly missed by all the people involved in motor racing in Scotland. He was just one of the greatest lads and he helped so many of the young drivers today, such as David Coulthard."

Credit: BBC Sport

David Brabham:

"David was a very good driver and a distinguished gentleman. It is the saddest news, both for his family and for the racing community."

Credit: BBC Sport

Jonathan Palmer:

"I am desperately saddened to learn that my friend Richard Lloyd lost his life in the Biggin Hill jet accident yesterday. I had known Richard closely for over 25 years and he was one of the most important people in the development of my racing career and successes as a racing driver.

"Richard was a true enthusiast and was always determined to run professional teams with professional drivers, often spotting promising young drivers and providing prestigious opportunities for them to shine. I first met Richard in 1981 when I lead the British Formula 3 championship. He asked me if I'd like to drive with him in an Audi 90 in the 1981 Silverstone Tourist Trophy touring car race. I was thrilled to accept, and I think we won the class. The relationship developed and in 1982, Richard's team GTi Engineering, graduated to a Porsche 924GTR which we drove together at Spa and Daytona, amongst other events. Richard's obsession with professionalism and quality was rewarded when he convinced Canon to increase their sponsorship and GTi Engineering became one of the first, very proud owners of a customer Porsche 956. I distinctly remember Richard, Jan Lammers, Mick de Haas from Canon and I visiting Porsche to collect our pristine white 956 in Spring 1983. We were all just so excited to be entering the top echelon of world sportscar racing with the car of the moment. None of us could quite believe it!

"As part of the intensive preparation the most beautiful livery ever in motorsport was created with the Canon Porsche 956. It's the only car I've raced that I would just look at and swoon over! They were amazing days. We would all meet in Richard and Philippa Lloyd's house in Barnes in London and brainstorm the project; Peter Stevens the designer and Grahame White being key members.

"The GTi Engineering team evolved to Richard Lloyd Racing and earned the respect of the top factory Porsche motorsport manager; Norbert Singer, as we would keep the Rothmans Porsches honest. The Canon Porsche 956 raced for three years, 1983, 84 and 85. Our biggest and sweetest success was winning the Brands Hatch 1000km World Endurance race in 1984, after team manager Keith Greene and I had pioneered a supplementary front wing on the nose. The Porsche factory did not approve - but Jan Lammers and I destroyed the opposition partly as a result! Richard threw a major party that evening at Brands Hatch. He was good at that too!

"I remember an epic race at Silverstone 1000kms in 1985, taking the lead round the outside into Woodcote from Ricardo Patrese's Martini Lancia after being side by side all the way from Abbey. Pulled out a healthy lead. Then the front wheel fell off. They tended to do that. I clawed back to fifth I seem to recall and set fastest race lap. Richard was always pushing to improve the car and our 956 would continually feature not only detail tweaks but also our own special stiffer chassis and aerodynamic improvements by Peter Stevens.

"Le Mans was of course the big one for us. In 1983 and 1984 mechanical failures frustrated any good result. I will never forget pounding down the long pre-chicane Mulsanne straight in 1984 in the dark early night hours at 200 mph when suddenly the car speared to the right. Then left, and continued to try to spin as I wrestled to get it under control having broken the rear suspension. After limping back to pits, I sat in it for 17 minutes as the suspension was repaired, then went out again. A couple of hours later, still at night, exactly the same thing happened again. The other side had broken. Times like that you'd wonder how sensible it all was.

"But in 1985 Le Mans all came right. Or pretty much. The driver line up was me, James Weaver and Richard 'Le Patron' Lloyd. After an epic battle for the lead with the Joest Porsche driven by Stefan Johansen that lasted until midnight, we lost a couple of laps with a minor brake problem. With the Joest Porsche never missing a beat we couldn't make up the deficit, but we finished a wonderful second overall and Richard appropriately took the car across the line for the final stint. It was surely his finest hour as a driver and manager of his own racing team.

"Sportscar racing then was dangerous - and the 956 not particularly strong. In August 1985 my F1 friend Manfred Winkelhock got killed in Mosport and two weeks later I had a tyre failure at Spa which left me in hospital for a month with a smashed foot and knee. As I lay in hospital in London two days after the accident I then heard Stefan Bellof had been killed in the same Spa race.

"After a year away from sportcars in 1986 I rejoined Richard Lloyd with the Liqui Moly Porsche 962, now sharing with Mauro Baldi. With a new partner in John Britten, as Britten Lloyd Racing we won the Norisring race that year - probably the biggest crowd of anywhere apart from Le Mans.

"By the end of 1987 F1 teams were less enthusiastic about their drivers racing in sports cars, including Ken Tyrrell, and I pretty much stopped. But Richard and I remained close friends with I think it's fair to say a great deal of respect for each other. Over six years of intensive international motor racing we had some great successes, some average results and a few disasters. But we had a fantastic time also got on so well socially. Richard was the most sincere and honest person you could imagine too.

"As I developed my business interests, Richard developed his, and he was instrumental in getting Bentley not just back in to motor racing, but to mastermind the remarkable achievement of winning Le Mans. Without Richard I would never have met John Britten, who has been an invaluable friend, investor, mentor and director of our business.

"Richard Lloyd's passion for motor racing was remarkable, but more than that he never stopped working to realise the dreams of success, most recently taking Jaguar into GT racing with XKR, a project that was the subject of my last conversation with him. Richard still loved to drive too, and I only recently saw him for a chat at Brands Hatch when he had been testing his old Chevrolet Camaro, a car that I remembered being in awe of when he was campaigning it in the BTCC in the late seventies, I guess.

"His death is such a cruel blow. He leaves a wonderful and supportive wife, Philippa, and his daughters. It seems so sad too when Richard was enjoying his time so much, mixing team management with historic driving and helping the BRDC. When we were striving to make it to the big time with the Canon Porsche 956, Richard used to always wear a prized baseball cap. It carried the slogan 'Pursuit of Perfection'. That says it all."

Sir Stirling Moss:

"I knew his [Lloyd's] capabilities both as a race driver and as an engineer - he was very skilled in both. It is an absolute tragedy. He was very well respected. We have lost a guy who was a very good driver, a nice person and a very good engineer."

Credit: Reuters

David Tremayne:

"David had fantastic family values. He was just a fantastic guy all round. He was very excited about testing Richard Lloyd's Jaguar. Racing was everything to him."

Credit: Daily Telegraph

Harry Handkammer, Apex co-owner:

"This is as sad as you can get, I'm simply devastated."

Credit: Daily Telegraph

SRO, FIA GT3 series organisers:

"SRO Motorsports Group was shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death yesterday of two valued members of the FIA GT3 European Championship community, Richard Lloyd, team principal of Apex Motorsports and driver David Leslie, in a plane crash.

"Richard Lloyd was the head of Apex Motorsport, who were developing the Jaguar XKR to compete in the Championship. The car, which made its first appearance in 2007, had undergone significant work over the winter under Richard's supervision, and looks to be competitive for 2008.

"As for former BTCC race-winner and well-known commentator, David Leslie, having reached the age of 55, at which former professional drivers are authorised to compete in the non-professional Championship, he was looking forward to his first season in GT3. Two weeks ago, during the test days at Monza, he had taken part in the Media Laps operation, giving laps of the circuit in the Jaguar to numerous journalists.

"A minute's silence was held at 13:00, in remembrance of the victims.

"All SRO Motorsports Group would like to offer their sincere condolences to the families, teams and friends of all those involved. They will be much missed."

David Wong, Team PETRONAS Syntium:

"On behalf of the team, we are incredibly saddened and devastated to hear of the tragic death of David Leslie. He will be sorely missed by everyone in the team who had the privilege of working with David. It was an honour to have been given the opportunity to work closely with a true gentleman and a consummate professional. His competitiveness both on and off the track as well as his passion for a sport that he loved so much was and still remains an inspiration to us all in the team.

"As a part of Team PETRONAS Syntium Proton, David was more than just a driver, he was family to us. He was instrumental to the team when we made our debut in the toughest touring car championship in the world - the British Touring Car Championship in 2002. As newcomers to the championship, he helped us achieve so much in the BTCC. In addition to being highly skilled and talented race car driver, David's engineering and technical prowess was what helped the team grow and develop during the three seasons we were competing in the championship.

"More importantly, David was more than just a race car driver that brought home the results including four podium finishes. He was a friend to everyone in the team as well as coach and mentor to the development of a young Malaysian racing talent in the form of Fariqe Hairuman, whom David had a hand in grooming.

"On behalf of the team, we mourn the loss of David Leslie, Richard Lloyd and those who tragically lost their lives in this accident on Sunday. Our prayers and thoughts are with their families and loved ones."

Jason Plato:

"Terrible news, just terrible news. Motorsport has lost two great guys. I have known David since my kart racing days and raced with him in the BTCC for many years. He was one of those guys that could combine being a fierce competitor on track and a warm, friendly and sincere man off it. Richard was a fantastic team owner, a perfectionist, a man I always admired. I first really got to know Richard when I joined the BTCC in 1997, the year after his team Audi Sport UK won the championship in such fine style. My thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the families of these fine men and to the relatives and friends of all the victims of this terrible accident."

Darren Turner:

"David was a true gentleman, very humble about his achievements in motorsport and a real ambassador for the sport. A lot of professional racing drivers have a great career and a great lifestyle after it, but David worked extremely hard to give everything he could back and lend his vast experience as a university lecturer, a TV commentator and as a test driver. He will be sorely missed and I'd like to pass on my personal condolences to his family at this very sad time."

Fred Viger, Motors TV head of programming:
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of David's death. He was a valued member of our commentary team, but much more than that, he was a gentleman and one of the nicest guys you could ever have the pleasure of meeting.

"All our thoughts and prayers are with David's family and friends and with those of Richard Lloyd, pilot Mike Roberts and the other two victims of this terrible tragedy."