Vettel honors Dietrich Mateschitz with vintage Red Bull lid

40

Sebastian Vettel will pay tribute this weekend in Mexico to his former boss, Dietrich Mateschitz, with a vintage helmet design dedicated to the co-founder of Red Bull who passed away last weekend.

Vettel's 'Danke Didi' lid emblazoned with Red Bull's colors harks back to his formative years in motorsport, well before he graduated to Formula 1 and raced with Scuderia Toro Rosso and then for Red Bull Racing, the team with which he won all four of his world titles.

Read also:

Red Bull: Foundation put in place by Mateschitz means 'future is set'

"Without him I wouldn’t be sitting here today and I wouldn’t have had the success I’ve had," commented an emotional Vettel last weekend in Austin, just hours after the Austrian's passing.

On Thursday, ahead of the weekend's round of racing in Mexico City, the Aston Martin driver expanded on his relationship with Mateschitz and how the latter had played such a crucial role in the lives of so many in the sporting world.

"Dietrich, to me, we had a very good relationship," he said. "And what I really appreciate today is that it was always eye level, even though he was far more experienced and knowledgeable than I was—especially early on.

"So it’s been a real shock last week to hear the news. And it’s a massive, massive loss.

"He helped kids, girls, boys, men, women along the way," Vettel added. "He helped them to chase their dream.

"It is a very, very big loss to everybody who had the privilege to get to know him and be with him. He was extremely humble, kind, and just a good, big heart."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.