Motor racing prospect Anthoine Hubert died on Saturday following a crash during the Formula Two race held before this weekend's F1 Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA announced.

In a statement, the auto racing governing body said that BWT Arden driver Hubert died aged 22 following a “serious incident” at Spa-Francorchamps, a three-car pile-up in the second lap of the race also involving Juan Manuel Correa and Giuliano Alesi.

“The scene was immediately attended by emergency and medical crews, and all drivers were taken to the medical centre,” read the statement.

“As a result of the incident, the FIA regrets to inform that the driver of car number 19, Antoine Hubert (FRA), succumbed to his injuries, and passed away at 18:35.” Juan Manuel Correa is in a “stable condition” at the CHU hospital in Liege, the FIA said, after suffering leg fractures in the crash.

Hubert was a Renault F1 junior and the reigning GP3 series champion, and his strong performance in junior categories had earned him full backing Renault, who were preparing him for a big future.

He had won twice in the F2 championship this season, at the French and Monaco Grand Prix meetings.

He and Correa crashed at the exit of the fast Raidillon corner in one of the fastest sections of the fast and challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the longest in current use for Grands Prix.

Hubert's car hit a wall at Raidillon and smashed into Correa's Sauber junior team car at high speed, flipping Correa's car upside down in the accident and shattering Hubert's vehicle, the main monocoque separating from the rear.

The impact was so severe that Correa's feet were left exposed as the nose cone of his car was destroyed and he was trapped in the cockpit.

The series second race of the weekend is scheduled for Sunday ahead of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.

Hubert's death is the first driver fatality at a Formula One race weekend since Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were killed at Imola in 1994.

Jules Bianchi, who suffered serious head injuries at the Japanese Grand Prix in October 2014, succumbed to his injuries in July the following year.

Formula Two is a feeder series and support category to Formula One and races on the same weekends.