Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz dies - The Race

Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, the antheral liable for a game-changing Formula 1 operation, has died aged 78.

Concerns astir Mateschitz’s wellness had grown successful caller months arsenic helium has seldom been seen successful nationalist and quality of Mateschitz’s decease was confirmed connected the Saturday of the United States Grand Prix.

Speaking to media astatine the US GP, Red Bull squad main Christian Horner said: “Desperately bittersweet quality that we’ve learned, of the passing of Dietrich.

“He’s a singular man, what he’s done for truthful many. Not conscionable successful Formula 1 but successful the Red Bull business, successful the Red Bull world, crossed each the sporting platforms – and helium was a antheral that inspired truthful much.

“He is the crushed that we are here. It was his passionateness for Formula 1, and his vision, that is the crushed that helium has 2 teams successful the Formula 1 pitlane.

“He was ever enthusiastic, encouraging, supportive, connected the bully days and the atrocious days. And truthful galore beryllium him truthful much.”

Mateschitz discovered the portion Krating Daeng, which became the ground for his Red Bull vigor drink, portion moving successful Thailand successful the aboriginal 1980s.

After forming the Red Bull institution successful 1987 alongside the Krating Daeng creator Chaleo Yoovidhya, Mateschitz grew it into an tremendous planetary franchise and made his fortune.

As portion of this, Red Bull was aggressively marked successful relation with utmost sports and this led to an accrued involvement successful F1.

Initially a sponsor and majority-owner of Sauber, Red Bull divided with the Swiss squad erstwhile it refused to tally Enrique Bernoldi, 1 of the young drivers that Red Bull supported astatine the time.

Red Bull went connected to bargain the underperforming Jaguar squad successful 2004 and rebranded it arsenic Red Bull Racing for the pursuing season.

In precocious 2005 Mateschitz besides bought Minardi, on with Gerhard Berger who helium would aboriginal bargain out, renaming it Toro Rosso and making it the Red Bull inferior team.

Mateschitz green-lit superior concern successful his 2 F1 operations and turned Red Bull Racing into 1 of F1’s astir palmy teams.

Hiring Adrian Newey helped it turn into a race-winning and past title-winning operation, portion the progressively expanding inferior programme brought the likes of Sebastian Vettel into F1.

At the tallness of their powerfulness Red Bull Racing and Vettel combined to triumph 4 consecutive titles from 2010-13.

The V6 turbo-hybrid rules knocked Red Bull Racing backmost arsenic its motor spouse Renault struggled but Mateschitz continued to enactment the F1 operation.

It was successful this epoch that his concern revived the Austrian Grand Prix, astatine the rebranded Red Bull Ring that helium had purchased a decennary earlier.

And erstwhile Red Bull Racing divided from Renault to spouse with Honda, it began a travel that made the squad a rubric victor again, ending Mercedes’ domination successful 2021 with Max Verstappen – different operator Red Bull brought into F1 successful the archetypal place.

At the aforesaid time, Red Bull kicked disconnected the constitution of its first-ever F1 motor facility, Red Bull Powertrains, which is acceptable to physique the team’s archetypal in-house motor for the 2026 regulations.

It completes a monolithic Red Bull footprint that started with Mateschitz’s archetypal investments.

The aboriginal of Red Bull’s assorted F1 operations is chartless successful the aftermath of Mateschitz’s passing, arsenic it is unclear whether his successor(s) wrong the institution volition privation to clasp ownership oregon not.

But Mateschitz’s bequest successful F1 volition beryllium immense regardless. He has turned a sponsor into a massively palmy empire liable for 2 progressive teams, 2 satellite champions and galore much drivers, a caller motor shaper and the revival of an full expansive prix.