Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

F1 star reveals farewell tribute for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Cal Gaunt Friday 24 November 2023 23:12

F1 star reveals farewell tribute for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Yuki Tsunoda has unveiled his special Abu Dhabi Grand Prix helmet - paying tribute to AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost ahead of what is his final race in charge of the team.

After 23 years in the sport and 18 years in charge of Red Bull's junior team, Tost is taking a step back after Abu Dhabi.

He will be replaced at AlphaTauri by current Ferrari assistant team principal Laurent Mekies.

Mekies, who previously held various key positions at Toro Rosso under Tost's leadership, departed for roles at the FIA and later, Ferrari.

Franz Tost is to depart AlphaTauri after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Yuki Tsunoda has paid tribute to Franz Tost with a special helmet

Tsunoda: Tost has had big impact on my career

And Tsunoda, who has driven for AlphaTauri since 2021, has dedicated his one-off helmet design to the man who helped provide him his first break in F1.

"I wanted to make a special helmet this weekend to thank Franz who has played such an important role in my career," Tsunoda wrote on Instagram.

"He has always been supportive of me since before joining AlphaTauri and I have learned so many things from him.

"I hope we can have a great final race together."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Yuki Tsunoda (@yukitsunoda0511)

Tost is set to continue his association with the team as a consultant for the upcoming 2024 season.

Tost, who celebrated his 67th birthday in January, has considered retirement publicly but as yet has not made a concrete decision on what his long-term future holds.

Latest News

Features

2025 F1 grid re-shuffles as star AXED after official announcement

32 minutes ago

F1 Today

F1 News Today: Red Bull BOMBSHELL emerges as Perez drive confirmed

1 hour ago

Latest F1 News

Horner takes NEW dig at Wolff in Hamilton Ferrari verdict

2 hours ago

F1 Social

Hamilton suffers major F1 DEMOTION in team boss snub

3 hours ago

F1 Social

Verstappen rivals DOMINATE as champion in dismal showing

Today 12:57

F1 Superstars

Red Bull star's SHOCK Hamilton comments re-surface after F1 promotion

Today 11:57

More news

F1 News 24/7

Races

About GPFans

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY