F1 helmet painter Sid Mosca dies

A legendary painter of formula one helmets has died.

74-year-old Brazilian Sid Mosca, who customised the designs of famous F1 drivers including Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher, died in hospital on Wednesday of cancer.

O Globo reports that Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna also had their helmets painted by Mosca, who always marked his designs with the signature ’Painted by Sid - Brasil’.

He will be buried in his native Sao Paulo.

"I am sorry to hear that we lost the great Sid Mosca. He painted my very first helmet. We will miss you my friend," Rubens Barrichello told his more than 1 million Twitter followers.