Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has died aged 78. The Austrian businessman was, among other things, the driving force behind Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 team.
He also sponsored several sports teams with the energy drink group, including Red Bull Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg. Mateschitz had been seriously ill for some time.
Mateschitz founded Red Bull in the 1980s and entered Formula 1 in the early 1990s, where he played an important role at Sauber. Since 2005, Red Bull has been racing in the highest motorsport class. From 2010 to 2013, the team celebrated its heyday, winning four world titles in a row with Sebastian Vettel. Until last season there was no championship. This season Max Verstappen won his second title in a row. In addition, Red Bull has won 89 races and four constructors’ titles since 2005.
Stefano Domenicali, chairman and CEO of Formula 1, reacted with excitement. “I am deeply saddened by the news that Dietrich Mateschitz, a highly respected and beloved member of the Formula 1 family, has passed away. He was an incredible visionary entrepreneur and a man who helped change our sport and created the Red Bull brand known all over the world.
“I will miss him immensely, as will the entire Formula 1 community,” Domenicali continued on the Formula 1 website. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the Red Bull and AlphaTauri teams in this very sad time.”
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