Red Bull F1 team owner Dietrich Mateschitz dies after long battle with illness

Red Bull Racing and football chief Dietich Mateschitz has died at the age of 78 after a long illness.

The Austrian was known for his long-standing stewardship of Red Bull after being one of the energy drinks company’s co-founders in the 1980s.

Mateschitz combined the company with his passion for motorsport and other sports as it became the sponsor of many different teams across the world.

His company also bought Jaguar’s Formula One racing team and converted it into Red Bull Racing in November 2004, it has gone on to become one of the strongest teams on the grid.

So much so, Max Verstappen just won the Driver’s Championship for this season while driving the Red Bull car. This is the sixth time that Red Bull had won the title.

Red Bull has also won the Constructors Championship on four occasions since the team was formed.

The company also owns AlphaTauri, which was adapted from the Toro Rosso team in 2016.

Mateschitz was a key member in Red Bull’s entrance into football, as it has multiple teams in its portfolio.

Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz has died after a long illness at the age of 78

Mateschitz was also the chief of Red Bull Racing as well as the Red Bull football teams

Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, MLS franchise the New York Red Bulls and Brazilian team Red Bull Bragantino are the biggest clubs to represent the drinks company.

News of Mateschitz’s passing has reached the F1 paddock and the Red Bull staff as they were called into the hospitality area to be informed of what had happened 45 minutes before qualifying for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

Principal of the Red Bull Racing Christian Horner paid tribute to Mateschitz, as he told Sky Sports: ‘It’s very, very sad. What a great man – he’s few of a kind, what he achieved and what he’s done for so many people around the world and across different sports is second to none.

Christian Horner said that Mateschitz made a difference to Formula One before he died

‘So many of us have to be so grateful to him for the opportunities he has provided, the vision that he had, the strength of character and never being afraid to follow and chase his dreams.

‘That’s what he did here in Formula 1, proving that you can make a difference.

‘We’re just incredibly grateful for him, everything he has done and everything he has supported us with over the years. So many drivers, so many team members, so many people in this pit lane know him so much.

Red Bull Racing has become one of the best teams in F1 since being formed by Mateschitz

‘As he would have wanted, we now head into qualifying exactly how he would have wanted it to be.

‘He was passionate about Formula 1, passionate about the team, and our determination is to go and do our best for him today and in the race tomorrow.’

The official Formula 1 account also paid tribute to the Austrian as it posted on Twitter: ‘We are saddened to hear of the death of Dietrich Mateschitz The co-founder of Red Bull made an unforgettable contribution to F1, and leaves a lasting legacy.’