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Drivers pay tribute to Santander boss Emilio Botin

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Emilio Botin, the chairman of Spanish bank Santander and the man who brought the brand to F1, has died of a heart attack at the age of 79.

Santander first arrived in Formula One with McLaren in 2007 after the British outfit signed Fernando Alonso as a driver. It remained as a sponsor when Alonso left - and is still with the team today - but joined forces with Ferrari when the Spaniard moved to the Italian team in 2010. It is also the title sponsor of several grands prix on the calendar.

Alonso was among the F1 drivers who paid tribute to Botin on Twitter.

El miércoles cené con Don Emilio, planeábamos otra vuelta en bici en Singapur... Nos deja un amigo, un gran amigo. pic.twitter.com/P9w672iGsO

— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) September 10, 2014

Lewis Hamilton also tweeted.

This is for my dear friend Emilio Botin has sadly passed away. I will miss you dearly! #RIP http://t.co/jTjQeAelIl pic.twitter.com/PdKIvaiT4z

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) September 10, 2014

Botin joined Santander's board in 1960 and rose through the ranks to become chairman in 1986. He was largely credited with turning Santander from a small regional bank into a global brand.

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