Red Bull owner and co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz has passed away after a long illness, the company’s F1 team confirmed on Saturday. He was 78 years old.
The Austrian founded the energy drink company in 1984 with Chaleo Yoovidhya and helped make it a world leader in its industry.
Mateschitz was very interested in extreme sports from an early age and soon introduced Red Bull into the world of sports, where it achieved success in many fields.
It did very well in Formula One.
Red Bull has won four constructors titles (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and six driver titles, most recently secured by Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The team is on track to claim its fifth constructors title and could do so at the US Grand Prix on Sunday.
After years of being involved in the sport as a sponsor, Red Bull bought the Jaguar F1 team in 2004 and the Minardi team in 2005. The latter, operating outside Italy as the base team of company, renamed Toro Rosso and today competes as AlphaTauri.
He also bought the F1 track in the town of Spielberg, which is now named the Red Bull Ring and hosts the Austrian Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s renowned Driving Academy helped produce two world champions, Verstappen and Sebastian Vettelas well as grand prix race winners in Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly.
“Deeply sad news that we have learned of Dietrich’s passing,” Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner said on Saturday afternoon. “He is a remarkable man, what he has done for so many people, not only in Formula 1 but also in the Red Bull business and the Red Bull world across all sports platforms. .
“He’s a man who inspires so much. He’s the reason we’re here, it’s his passion for Formula 1 and his vision is the reason he has two teams on the track. Formula 1. He is always enthusiastic, encouraging and supportive on good days and bad days.
“A lot of people owe him a lot and I feel honored to have known him and I think for the whole team now, despite the shock, we will do exactly what he wants, which is to come out. out and with his cars try as hard as we can and try to take down the constructors championship it’s important that we recognize all that he has contributed for the sport, but not just for the sport because it goes the way, the way beyond that.”
Away, Red Bull Salzburg has won 13 Austrian football championships since taking on the company name in 2006.
Other football teams owned by the company are the New York Red Bulls, RB Liepzig and Red Bull Brasil, and the hockey teams are EHC Munchen and EC Red Bull Salzburg. It also owns the Red Bull OG e-sports team.
