“I’ll Fall Apart Watching Him”: Sebastian Vettel Strikes Painful Chord as Red Bull Helmet Makes Nostalgic Return to F1 Track

Red Bull is a relatively new team with their first year in F1 being the 2005 season. But in comparison, their contributions to modern F1 are much bigger, with the team being one of the most influential in recent times. It has won 5 Constructors’ Championships and 6 Drivers’ Championships. So it is only safe to say that the founder of the team is one of the most prominent figures in F1, too.

Unfortunately, we lost him on the weekend of the United States GP. Dietrich Mateschitz passed away aged 78 after a long bout with illness. Understandably, the team, headed by Christian Horner, and its drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, were all deeply affected by the saddening event.

In possibly the best tribute to the legend, they achieved a well-fought P1 with Max and a P4 with Sergio. The positions provided enough points for the Milton Keynes-based team to clinch the WCC for the first time since 2013. They dedicated the WCC win to Mateschitz and his brilliance that formed this modern behemoth.

Apart from Red Bull, tributes and eulogies rang in from all corners of F1. Sebastian Vettel was among those who paid their respects to the Austrian businessman. Vettel had great relations with Mateschitz because of his long and fruitful association with Red Bull.

Sebastian raced for his team from 2009 to 2014. He brought them their first WDC and WCC. So it’s safe to say that he has great memories from his time at Red Bull.

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In a sport dominated by older teams like Ferrari, Red Bull had the brilliance to break through and become a major power in the very few years after its entry. It has to be chalked down to the astuteness of Mateschitz.

Social media love the gesture from Sebastian Vettel for the Red Bull founder

As a tribute to the person who gave him the opportunity to drive in F1, Sebastian has decided to wear a commemorative helmet in the Mexican GP. It has “Danke Didi” meaning “Thank you Didi [Dietrich]” printed on the side. The color combination on the gear matches that of a Red Bull can.

Fans love the gesture from the driver, especially with it being his last season. It is a total tears fest. Here are some of the fan tweets about it.

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The contributions of Mateschitz to the sport cannot be overstated. A world without Sebastian and his 4 titles is just not a world a Red Bull fan would like to be a part of.