A British racing driver died in a smash the day after he claimed the brakes "did not feel right".

Sean Edwards, from Battersea, died in a fireball crash when the brakes failed as he tutored an amateur driving a Porsche 996 on a racetrack in Queensland, Australia.

October 2013: McNish pays tribute to Edwards

The sports car went through a wall of tires and into a brick wall before being engulfed in flames, an inquest was told today.

Mr Edwards, 26, was instructing William Hotzheimer from the passenger seat of the car on October 15, 2013, when it suffered a "total mechanical failure", the court heard.

At the British inquest into the crash, senior coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said: "Sean Edwards was an professional racing driver who was conducting private coaching for a relatively experienced amateur driver.

"This took place at Queensland Raceway at Willowbank which at the time was the subject of a track license.

"In the course of that coaching session the vehicle was approaching turn six at high speed when there was a total mechanical failure of the brakes.

"The vehicle proceeded through a gravel trap and into a tyre barrier and impacted with a concrete wall.

"This caused the vehicle to ignite into flames.

"Sean Edwards died instantaneously from the injuries received and William Hotzheimer suffered significant injuries but survived."

Westminster Coroner's Court heard that Mr Edwards's death had been the subject of an extensive inquest in Australia, the findings of which Dr Wilcox "accepted in their entirety".

She said: "I would like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest sympathies to Mr Edwards's family, especially his mother, with whom we have been in regular contact."

In a statement released at the time, his mother Daphne McKinley said the family was "extremely traumatised by Sean's death".

She said: "The Queensland police were very kind and helpful but nevertheless, the wait has been a cause of stress and anxiety.

"I am relying on the coroner to make recommendations, if they are necessary, to ensure such an incident doesn't happen again."

Mr Edwards's career started at the age of 11, when he began entering karting competitions.

He was placed fourth in the 2003 British Formula Ford Championship before finishing fifth in both the 2004 Formula Renault UK and the British GT championship.

At the Australian inquest, the court how Edward had said the car "did not feel right" the day before his death and that the Porsche's brakes were worn down to the metal.

A mechanic called Thomas Gyori told the inquest there in September: "Sean came in and said the brakes feel a bit spongy or soft, I can't remember the exact word he used.

"I looked at them and in my eyes they looked alright and okay to drive - otherwise I would have said we need new brakes."

When shown a picture of the worn brakes, Mr Gyori agreed that they looked worn and told the court that he has been suffering sleepless nights since the accident.