Formula 1 to honour Lauda with red cap tribute

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Formula 1 will pay a collective homage to Niki Lauda before Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, with a minute's silence before the start followed by a red cap tribute from the teams and drivers.

The F1 legend died last Monday at the age of 70, and Lauda's passing has sparked a deluge of tributes, praises and testimonials.

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All teams are paying their respects to the three-time world champion by displaying a special message or an image on their cars.

But the F1 community as a whole will offer its own eulogy to Lauda in tomorrow's pre-race build-up.

A minute of silence is to be held after which all 20 drivers, joined by F1 folk and figures "who played a special role in Lauda's career - his contemporaries and his peers", will brandish red caps, Lauda's signature accessory since his fateful German Grand Prix accident in 1976.

"Formula 1, the FIA, the Automobile Club de Monaco and all ten teams want to invite all fans attending the race in the Monaco grandstands to pay their own tribute to the driver who won here in the Principality in 1975 and 1976, during the in-lap of this the 90th edition of the race," stated F1.

"They can either wear a red cap, display a message on a banner, or simply applaud, while those watching from the yachts in the harbour can sound their klaxons, anything appropriate to honour the memory of one of the sport’s true heroes."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.