Red Bull proprietor and co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz has died aft a agelong illness, the company's F1 squad confirmed connected Saturday. He was 78.
The Austrian founded the vigor drinks institution successful 1984 with Chaleo Yoovidhya and helped found it arsenic the satellite person successful its industry.
Mateschitz was keen connected utmost sports astatine an aboriginal property and soon brought Red Bull into the sporting world, wherever it has enjoyed occurrence crossed aggregate disciplines.
It has done truthful astir famously successful Formula One.
Red Bull has won 4 constructors' championships (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and six drivers' titles, the astir caller being secured by Max Verstappen astatine the Japanese Grand Prix.
The squad is connected the verge of clinching its 5th constructors' rubric and tin bash truthful astatine the U.S. Grand Prix connected Sunday.
After years of engagement successful the athletics arsenic a sponsor, Red Bull purchased the Jaguar F1 squad successful 2004 and the Minardi squad successful 2005. The latter, which operates retired of Italy arsenic the company's inferior team, was renamed Toro Rosso and contiguous competes arsenic AlphaTauri.
He besides purchased the F1 circuit successful the municipality of Spielberg, which is present named the Red Bull Ring and hosts the Austrian Grand Prix.
Red Bull's celebrated operator academy has helped nutrient 2 satellite champions, Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, arsenic good arsenic expansive prix contention winners successful Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly.
"Desperately bittersweet quality that we've learned of the passing of Dietrich," Red Bull F1 brag Christian Horner said connected Saturday afternoon. "He was a singular man, what he's done for truthful many, not conscionable successful Formula One but successful the Red Bull concern and the Red Bull satellite crossed each the sporting platforms.
"He was a antheral that inspired truthful much. He is the crushed that we are here, it was his passionateness for Formula One and his imaginativeness that is the crushed helium has 2 teams successful the Formula One pit lane. He was ever enthusiastic, encouraging and supportive connected the bully days and the atrocious days.
"So galore beryllium him truthful overmuch and I consciousness privileged to person known him and I deliberation for the full squad now, contempt the shock, we are going to bash precisely what helium would person wanted, which is to spell retired determination and with his cars bash the precise champion that we tin and to effort and adjacent the constructors' title down. It's important that we recognise everything helium has contributed to the sport, but not conscionable the athletics due to the fact that it goes way, mode beyond that."
Away from F1, Red Bull Salzburg has won 13 Austrian shot championships since taking connected the institution sanction successful 2006.
Other shot teams owned by the institution are New York Red Bulls, RB Liepzig, Red Bull Brasil, hockey teams EHC Munchen and EC Red Bull Salzburg. It besides owns esports squad Red Bull OG.