The Austrian businessman and visionary died after a long illness at the age of 78, without having won his fifth Constructors’ title for his team.
After creating a leading brand of energy drinks, Mateschitz saw opportunities for the further development of his business by combining pajsa and installing motorsport with his business.
Red Bull originally only sponsored the Subera team in F1, but in 2004 it took over a struggling Jaguar, which in turn was based on a team created in the 90s by Sir Jackie Stewart. The following season the team played in F1 as Red Bull Racing, and in 2006 it was joined by a junior team created by the owner of Red Bull on the basis of the Minardi team. Initially it was called Toro Rosso, which in Italian meant the same as Red Bull. For several years, however, this team has been operating under the name AlphaTauri, promoting the energetic brand’s textile business.
Christian Horner was associated with the Milton Keynes team basically until the very beginning. Dietrich Mateschitz personally chose him to lead his main team. Together they led Red Bull to four consecutive constructors’ championships from 2010 to 2013 and six drivers’ titles. In addition to the four V6 turbo engines won by Sebastian Vettel before the era, two more were added by Max Verstappen last season and this season.
After the news on Saturday, the mood in the paddock was gloomy. Ditrich Mateschitz turned out to be a modest visionary who was reluctant to appear in the media.
Through his ventures, however, he had a strong impact not only on Formula 1, but also on the wider promotion of extreme sports, providing great opportunities for the development of countless athletes.
He was also active in the development of his native region in Austria, where he renovated the A1 Ring track years later, changing its name to Red Bull Ring, and successfully restored the race to the world championship calendar. of F1.
Christin Horner described her superior’s death as “devastatingly sad news”.
“He’s an incredible man. What he’s done for so many people, not just in Formula 1 but in the Red Bull business, in the Red Bull world, on all sporting platforms,” said Horner.
“He was the man who inspired so much. That’s why we’re here. It was his passion for Formula 1 and his vision is why he has two teams in the pit lane of Formula 1. He was always enthusiastic, encouraging, supportive, in good times and bad.”
“So many people owe him so much. I feel privileged to have met him.”
The Red Bull boss added that his team will now do what his boss expected: “We will do what he expects now. That is to say, we will take our cars to the track and do our best to try and finish the World Cup here.” ”
The Red Bull team will claim their fifth title today if Ferrari are not more than 19 points clear of the finish line from 9:00 p.m.
“It’s important that we appreciate everything he brought to the sport,” added Horner. “It’s not just about sports, it’s about everything else.”
Asked about his own memories of Mateschitz, Horner pointed to his “inspirational” approach to life and the pursuit of ambitious goals.
“He gave me a chance as a young boy, he supported me and inspired so many other people,” said Horner.
“He gave so many people a chance. He encouraged you, said nothing was impossible, nothing was outdone, and he encouraged you to pursue your dreams. He was a Formula 1 fan. ”
“He was extremely proud of everything we did. The most important thing now is that he would like us to be on the track too and do our best, and we will do that for him today. ”
