BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull Founder Has Died

Dietrich Mateschitz, co-founder and owner of Red Bull, has died at the age of 78.

Red Bull confirmed Dietrich Mateschitz’s death ahead of the United States Grand Prix, where the team can claim their fifth F1 constructors’ title. Founder of Red Bull and its energy drink, Mateschitz turned the brand into a market leader while showcasing it through various extreme sports. Having originally been involved in F1 with Sauber in the 1990s and early 2000s, Mateschitz bought Jaguar at the end of 2004 and rebranded it as a full-blown Red Bull team for 2005.

Red Bull Racing has been one of the most successful teams in Formula 1. They built up their operation steadily, signed the likes of Adrian Newey, and promoted the first of many Red Bull-backed drivers, Sebastian Vettel, who won several titles. After a lean spell upon the arrival of F1’s turbo-hybrid era, they reunited with Honda and now have Max Verstappen as their star driver, who won both drivers’ titles in 2021 and 2022. As it stands, Red Bull has scored 79 pole positions, 89 race wins, six drivers’ titles, and four constructors’ titles in F1.

Stefano Domenicali, President, and CEO of Formula 1 said: “I am deeply saddened by the news that Dietrich Mateschitz, a hugely respected and much-loved member of the Formula 1 family, has passed away.

“He was an incredible visionary entrepreneur and a man who helped transform our sport and created the Red Bull brand known worldwide.

“I will miss him greatly, as will the whole community in Formula 1, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and the Red Bull and AlphaTauri teams at this very sad time.”