“Fernando Alonso asked me if it was okay”: Sebastian Vettel feels ‘honored’ about former rival having special tribute helmet dedicated to him

Sebastian Vettel is gearing up for his last-ever F1 race at this Sunday’s Abu Dhabi GP. The four-time World Champion announce earlier this year that he will retire after the end of this season. Tributes are pouring in for Vettel as fellow drivers and fans come together to celebrate the life of one the sport’s greatest ever.

Ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP, special focus has been put on Vettel’s friendship with Lewis Hamilton. The two of them were fierce rivals, especially during the former’s Ferrari days, but it made their bond even stronger. However, another one of Vettel’s rivals will be paying tribute to him at this Sunday’s race at Yas Marina Circuit.

Fernando Alonso was Vettel’s main competitor during the German’s dominant era in F1. He won four back-to-back World Championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013. During this time, it was Alonso who came closest to dethroning him. Vettel was not as close to Alonso as he was to Hamilton, but they certainly shared a lot of respect for each other.

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Fernando Alonso’s gesture surprised Sebastian Vettel

This weekend it was revealed that Mick Schumacher will sport a helmet that pays tribute to his mentor. Schumacher and Vettel share one of the closest bonds in F1 and the former is a protegee of the former Red Bull driver. However, the outgoing Haas driver isn’t the only one who has taken this initiative.

Ahead of this Sunday’s outing to Yas Island, Alonso asked Vettel if he could wear a helmet that paid tribute to his legendary career. This surprised Vettel a lot because they weren’t particularly close to each other. However, the amount of respect shown to him honored Vettel.

“Fernando asked me if it was okay and I felt very honored,” the 35-year-old said. “I was surprised that he changed his helmet design specifically for me.”

“One last time sharing the track with you,” Alonso wrote on social medial. “It will be emotional and sad at the same time, but I wish you all the best for your next chapter.”

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F1 drivers gather to celebrate Vettel’s career in Abu Dhabi

The sight of all F1 drivers gathering to celebrate the life and career of their contemporary is always heartwarming. Ahead of this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, the class of 2022 got together for dinner in honor of Vettel.

According to numerous reports, it was Hamilton who brought all of them together and almost all of them posted pictures on social media, bidding farewell to Vettel.