Parents of F1 engineer, 26, who died of cardiac arrest raise £40k to help testing for young people

• ITV Central's Lucy Kapasi reports on 26-year-old Anthony Lane, who had a cardiac arrest

The parents of a Formula One engineer who died of a cardiac arrest have raised over £40,000 for more heart screenings in young people.

Anthony Lane was working for Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team when he suddenly collapsed while using his exercise bike at home.

His parents, with the help of Mercedes and the Rotary club of Wylde Green, have raised significant funds for more cardiac screenings in the Sutton Coldfield area.

A keen engineer from a young age, Anthony saved up all of his pocket money and brought his first car, a mini, when he was just 14.

From then on, he went to the University of Birmingham and was a technical director of the racing team, before he landed his dream job at Mercedes.

Speaking on Mercedes, his parents said: "Everything at Mercedes is very confidential because obviously, you know, everybody's tried to develop that car, so it's better than somebody else's car."

"So he really didn't tell us a lot about it. All he said was he was Mr. Crankshaft. So that was his speciality in the engine".

On their son they say that Anthony was a "perfectionist", who even when he spent his spare time making pizzas would make the "most perfect pizza dough".

His father Paul said: "It had to be perfect, which is aligned with the Mercedes, you know, everything very precise, very high tolerances."

His parents say that Anthony was "sporty and active" and had no signs of obvious health problems.

But out of the blue, his mother received a call to say Anthony's girlfriend had found him collapsed on the floor.

At aged just 26, he had a cardiac arrest.

His mother Penny added: "It happened incredibly quickly. He just got off his bike and just fallen onto the ground. West Midlands Ambulance Service had arrived and the air ambulance was there with the doctors.

"They were fantastic. And I then had this conversation on video call with the air ambulance doctor who said: 'yes, they've done everything they could.' But it was it was too late. Anthony was long gone."

After his death, his name was displayed on the nose cone of both Louis Hamilton and George Russell's cars during the Mexico Grand Prix in 2022.

Every week in the UK, 12 apparently fit and healthy young people under 35, like Anthony, die of an undiagnosed heart condition.

The CEO of Charity Cardiac risk in the Young (CRY) says the majority of deaths can be prevented by cardiac screening. The charity is also campaigning for a national testing program.

Speaking on what their son would make of their fundraising. Anthony's father said: "He would appreciate why we're doing it. But he wouldn't like being the centre of attention".

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