Sir Stirling Moss, the man considered by many as the greatest F1 driver never to win the world championship, has passed away at the age of 90.

Born in London in 1929, Moss finished runner-up in the F1 world championship four consecutive times, barred from the title by his team Mercedes teammate and good friend Juan Manuel Fangio and in 1958 by fellow Briton Mike Hawthorn.

But Moss' achievements surpassed the arena of Grand Prix racing. He also delivered countless wins in sportscar racing, including an exceptional drive for Mercedes in the grueling Mille Miglia road race in Italy in 1955, wins at the Nurburgring, Sebring and Reims and second place finishes at Le Mans with Jaguar and Aston Martin.

Moss started his career in motorcycle racing in the late 40s before switching to four-wheel machines with Jaguar in 1950.

His early exploits in sportscar racing naturally led to a presence in Formula 1, although at the wheel of modest machinery at first. But a string of impressive outings in a Maserati 250F purchased by his father incited Mercedes boss Alfred Neubauer to sign Moss up for a seat at the might Silver Arrows squad in 1955.

Moss was gearing up for an onslaught on the world title with Rob Walker in 1962 when he crashed at Goodwood during a meeting over the Easter weekend.

The accident left Moss in a coma from which he recovered, but upon his return to the track Moss felt that his skills had been affected. He then decided to retire from racing.

Moss' triumph with walker's Lotus 18 in the Monaco Grand Prix in 1961, where he defeated the more powerful Ferrari 156s, is remembered as one of the greatest and most competitive drives of all time.

An epicurian who lived life to the full, Moss retained a presence in motorsport over the years, racing in historic events until the age of 81.

Moss was knighted in 2000 and was the recipient of the FIA gold medal fin 2006 for his outstanding contribution to motorsport.

Sir Stirling is survived by his third wife Susie and two children. "He died as he lived, looking wonderful," Lady Moss told the Mail Online on Sunday.