Sebastian Vettel to honor Dietrich Mateschitz with vintage Red Bull helmet in Mexican Grand Prix

The Formula One world is still dealing with the loss of one of its titans, as Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull and the founder of Red Bull Racing, passed away last week following a long period of battling pancreatic cancer. Tributes immediately poured in from around the motorsports world, including from current Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, whose victory last week at the United States Grand Prix clinched the Constructors’ Cup for Red Bull.

Tributes will continue at this week’s Mexican Grand Prix, including one from a former Red Bull driver. Sebastian Vettel, currently driving for Aston Martin, will honor Mateschitz with a custom helmet for the Mexican Grand Prix, reflecting Vettel’s time with Red Bull:

Vettel spent six seasons in a Red Bull seat, becoming the youngest champion in F1 history when he won his first title back in 2010. That began a string of four-straight championships for Vettel as a member of Red Bull Racing.

During Thursday’s media availability ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, Vettel talked about Mateschitz and what he meant to the driver, as well as the sport:

“Dietrich, to me, we had a very good relationship,” Vettel said. “And what I really appreciate today is that it was always eye level, even though he was far more experienced and knowledgable 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 said. “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.”

Shortly after Mateschitz’s passing, Vettel said this about his former boss: “Without him I wouldn’t be sitting here today and I wouldn’t have had the success I’ve had.”

The Mexican Grand Prix will also be one of the last F1 races of Vettel’s career, who announced in July that this would be his final season. Vettel is coming off an eighth-place finish at the United States Grand Prix — following the news that Fernando Alonso’s post-race penalty has been rescinded — and has placed in the points in each of the last three races. That is the first time Vettel has put together three-straight top ten finishes this season, and just the second time in the past two years.

He will look for his fourth-straight finish in the points in the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend. In last year’s event, Vettel indeed placed in the top ten, finishing seventh.