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Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner has paid tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz following the death of the Austrian.
Mateschitz co-founded the Red Bull energy drink empire and established the Formula 1 team of the same name, before sister outfit Scuderia AlphaTauri (previously ‘Scuderia Toro Rosso) also became a fixture of the grid.
However, his influence extends far beyond Formula 1, and far beyond motorsport, with Red Bull owning multiple football teams and supporting a wide array of sporting endeavours.
It backs KTM’s factory MotoGP and rally-raid teams, and Triple Eight Race Engineering’s powerhouse Supercars operation which won the Repco Bathurst 1000 again a fortnight ago.
It was that weekend when Max Verstappen also clinched the World Drivers’ Championship title with Red Bull Racing for a second year in a row.
Horner, the Dutchman’s boss, spoke on the passing of Mateschitz.
“Desperately sad news that we’ve learnt of the passing of Dietrich,” he said.
“He is a remarkable man, [for] what he’s done for so many, not just in Formula 1, but in the Red Bull business, in the Red Bull world, across all the sporting platforms.
“He was a man that inspired so much. He is the reason that we are here.
“It was his passion for Formula 1 and his vision that is the reason that he has two teams in the Formula 1 pit lane.
“He was always enthusiastic, encouraging, supportive, in the good days and the bad days.
“So many owe him so much, and I feel privileged to have known him.
“I think that, for the whole team now, despite the shock, we’re going to do exactly what he would have wanted, which is to go out there and, with his cars, do the very best that we can to try and close this constructors’ championship down.
“So, it’s important that we recognise everything that that he’s contributed to the sport, but not just this, but what he does way, way beyond that.”
Asked for an overriding personal memory of Mateschitz, Horner replied, “He’s inspirational.
“You know, he gave me a chance as a young guy, he backed me, and he inspires so many others.
“He gave so many people an opportunity and he encouraged you that nothing is impossible, that nothing is unsurpassable, and to to follow your dreams.
“And he was a fan of Formula 1. He was hugely proud of everything that we’ve done.
“I think the big thing for him now is he’d want to see us go out there and give it everything.
“We’ll be doing today for him.”
Qualifying at the United States Grand Prix has just got underway.
