Friends of motorsport marshal Robert Foote say serious questions remain over safety at Brands Hatch following an inquest into his death.

Mr Foote, 67, was working as a volunteer at the track, near Fawkham on Saturday, July 31 when a collision in a classic touring car race led to a car crashing into barriers and rolling into the marshal post where he was stationed.

Emergency services including an air ambulance descended on the world-famous circuit but he died at the scene as a result of head injuries.

Coroner Roger Hatch concluded Mr Foote died as a result of an accident, noting there were inherent dangers in motorsport, but friends and family said questions remained unanswered.

The inquest had heard marshals were no longer stationed at the Marshal Post 2, where Mr Foote died, and that a new LED lighting system was being installed at the post to replace the role of marshals, while a trackside barrier had been quickly repaired, making it more difficult to inspect it.

Speaking after the hearing at County Hall, Maidstone, Brian Angus, a friend of Mr Foote, said: "The dilemma is that on the one hand they're saying there's nothing we should have done beforehand, but after the event there's a lot of things we're going to do, such as we're not going to use the marshal post, such as we're going to replace Robert with an LED light, and there was conflicting evidence about when they started repairs."

Mr Angus also paid tribute to his friend – a former mayor of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, aircraft engineer, qualified pilot, skilled mechanic, and coach driver – who he described being "a James Bond type" due to the number of technical skills he possessed.

"Robert was brilliant in all the different contributions he made" he added. Mr Foote's wife Rosemary had died only six months before the accident, and Mr Angus said he was still in the process of grieving her loss at the time of his own death.

"His focus was cherishing the memory of Rosemary, and our local community will be doing everything we can for them," he said. "The councillors at Epsom & Ewell are about to plant a tree in his memory as well."

Earlier in the hearing a statement had been read from driver Simon Beament, who's Ford Escort RS2000 had collided with a black BMW in the race.

His statement described how he had caught up with the BMW and was racing alongside it when he felt a tap between the two cars.

"This was followed by a second tap," he added. "I did not change my racing line. I stayed where I was positioned. My car was tapped then for a third time."

Mr Beament, who's leg was badly broken in the crash, recalled how the collision then sent his car across the grass verge and into the barrier.

Footage played to the court showed the car rising over the armco barrier, then going into a barrel roll over the second 'debris barrier' behind it, before colliding with the marshal post.

Dan Carter, safety executive for Motorsport UK, said armco barriers were designed to absorb impact and "deform", but should "direct the vehicle along the barrier" rather than let them rise over.

The stretch of barrier where the impact happened had timber posts – which although previously standard were in the process of being replaced by metal posts – but he did not believe they contributed to the accident.

He said he had "not come across an impact like that before" but added that motorsport incidents were often unique. He also noted that the car had collided at a point where two sections of barriers overlapped.

Circuit manager Mike Groves said the maintenance team began work on repairing the barrier once Kent Police released the scene between 6pm and 7pm, and worked until dark, resuming the next morning.

He said he was unable to say whether the accident would have been prevented if metal posts had been installed, and also noted the gap where the two sections of armco barrier overlapped.

Jamie Champkin, regulatory counsel and disciplinary officer for Motorsport UK, said reviews had shown the race organisation and track conformed with regulations, but added "in motorsport there are inherent risks", which he said could not be totally eradicated.

While no immediate recommendations had been made in the aftermath of the incident, an ongoing 'dynamic review' had led to the use of Marshal Post 2 being discontinued and the installation of an LED system, while overlapping sections of armco barriers were also being reviewed.

Coroner Roger Hatch noted that Motorsport UK's investigation had found there was no breach in regualtions, and that the dangers of motorsport were recognised by "drivers, marshals and anyone involved."

He added "sadly in this case, despite all the precautions this fatal accident occurred. I propose to record the death of Robert Foote was due to an accident'.

Mr Hatch also expressed his sympathy to Mr Foote's family.

In the aftermath of Mr Foote's death, more than £59,000 was donated to a Justgiving page, which aims to raise funds for the marshal's loved ones.

Tributes also poured in over social media with many posting orange love hearts – the colours adorned by marshals – and photos with the hashtag #OrangeArmy.

He represented the residents of Cuddington in Surrey and raised significant sums for his chosen charities while mayor. During his tenure at town hall, Rob and his late wife Rosemary, launched Epsom Buses, Silver Service.

Former Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton also reacted to the tragedy, saying his heart is with the volunteer marshal’s family.

He wrote on Instagram: “Devastated to hear of the passing of a marshal at the Brands Hatch Circuit."