Dietrich Mateschitz: Red Bull co-owner & energy drink giant dies aged 78

Dietrich Mateschitz (left) congratulated Max Verstappen astatine the Austrian Grand Prix successful 2018

Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, a large planetary concern fig arsenic a effect of his vigor drinks empire, has died aged 78.

He utilized the luck created by that to acceptable up a Formula 1 squad that has go 1 of the starring forces successful the sport.

His decease is not thought to endanger the aboriginal of Red Bull oregon its sister squad Alpha Tauri.

Austrian Mateschitz was a salesman for user goods institution Procter & Gamble erstwhile helium discovered Krating Daeng, the portion that would go Red Bull, connected his travels successful Thailand.

In 1984, helium founded Red Bull with the drink's founder, Thai Chaleo Yoovidhya, and launched the Red Bull marque successful 1987, yet turning it into the world's biggest vigor portion and making himself a luck estimated astatine $25bn.

He began to subordinate the marque with utmost sports specified arsenic surfing, cliff diving, wintertime sports and upland biking, and Red Bull became progressive arsenic a sponsor successful galore of them.

His engagement successful F1 began with the Swiss-based Sauber team, of which Red Bull became a 60% shareholder, earlier the 2 parted institution pursuing a enactment implicit operator prime - Sauber signed the inexperienced Finn Kimi Raikkonen for his debut play successful 2001, erstwhile Mateschitz wanted him to prime Red Bull protege Enrique Bernoldi.

Three years later, Red Bull bought the failing Jaguar squad from proprietor Ford and renamed it, employed ex-Formula 2 operator Christian Horner arsenic squad main and signed the sport's starring plan technologist Adrian Newey arsenic method manager connected a $10m salary.

They acceptable astir turning Red Bull into a starring force, became the fastest squad successful F1 by 2009, and won their archetypal drivers' and constructors' titles with the German Sebastian Vettel successful 2010, the archetypal of 4 consecutive title doubles for the team.

Red Bull besides extended its sporting interests into football, buying teams successful Salzburg, the metropolis closest to Mateschitz's location successful Fuschl americium See successful Austria, and Leipzig successful Germany, arsenic good arsenic what was the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, Campinas successful Brazil, founding a nine successful Ghana and taking implicit an crystal hockey squad successful Munich.

Red Bull forged a estimation for combining Newey's plan genius and competitiveness with a ruthless, combative cognition to each areas of the sport, from exploiting method grey areas, taking an abrasive attack to rule-makers and rivals and revelling successful the relation of disruptors.

The advent of turbo-hybrid engines successful 2014 brought their domination to a juddering halt, arsenic Mercedes began their ain play of command.

Red Bull continued to nutrient competitory cars, but were held backmost by their Renault engines. In the meantime, they were laying the foundations for their instrumentality to the front.

Mateschitz's right-hand antheral successful motorsport, Helmut Marko, signed up Dutch operator Max Verstappen successful 2014 midway done his archetypal play successful car racing, and made him the youngest operator to instrumentality portion successful a expansive prix play erstwhile helium was handed a Toro Rosso for archetypal signifier astatine the Japanese Grand Prix, aged 17 years and 3 days.

Verstappen was signed for the Toro Rosso squad - the erstwhile sanction of Alpha Tauri, which is present named for a radical manner marque - successful 2015 and by the 5th contention of 2016 was promoted to Red Bull, winning astatine the Spanish Grand Prix connected his debut for the elder team.

After abandoning their motor concern with Renault and joining forces with Honda successful 2019, Red Bull became progressively competitive, and successful 2021 had their archetypal perfectly competitory car since 2013.

Verstappen utilized it against Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton successful 1 of the astir aggravated rubric battles successful F1 history, the Red Bull operator yet being declared champion aft a arguable finale successful which helium won the race, passing Hamilton, aft the FIA contention manager failed to travel the rules correctly during a precocious safety-car period.

With the advent of caller rules successful 2022, Red Bull emerged arsenic the ascendant team, conscionable arsenic they yet did successful 2009, the archetypal twelvemonth of different large regularisation change.

Through this period, Mateschitz, though a reclusive fig who seldom gave interviews, emerged arsenic 1 of F1's astir important power-brokers.

At the aforesaid time, helium utilized his luck to assistance regenerate his autochthonal country of Styria successful Austria, promoting section crafts and arts. He besides acceptable up the Wings For Life foundation successful assistance of spinal cord research.

He has carved a important bequest successful motorsport and planetary business. But his passing inevitably leaves semipermanent question marks hanging implicit each aspects of the business, adjacent if Chalerm Yoovidhya, the eldest lad of Chaleo and believed to beryllium the Red Bull bulk shareholder each along, is said to beryllium an F1 enthusiast.