Red Bull’s Formula 1 drivers past and present have paid tribute to the energy drink company’s boss, Dietrich Mateschitz.

The Austrian lost a long battle with illness at the age of 78, with news of his death breaking in the moments before Qualifying for the United States Grand Prix.

Owner of two of Formula 1’s 10 teams, Mateschitz has played a key role in the sport for the better part of three decades.

In that time, he’s been instrumental in the careers of a raft of drivers, with Sebastian Vettel rewarding that investment with four world championships from 2010 to 2013.

“I feel a bit empty,” the German said.

“Obviously shocking news and don’t have that much to say right now. Shocked.”

“For us it was a tough entry to Qualifying,” said Verstappen, who has added two world titles to Red Bull’s trophy cabinet.

“And then you don’t really care about the result as well, you know, it doesn’t matter because it’s way more about what happened today.

“Also what he has meant to everyone within the team, the whole team, what he has built up in Formula 1, the company itself Red Bull, and personally to me, because without him, I wouldn’t be sitting here today and I wouldn’t have had the success I’ve had.

“So it’s incredibly tough for everyone in the team.”

On the current grid, Vettel, Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, and Daniel Ricciardo have all benefitted from Red Bull’s role in the sport.

“It was rare because he was so humble and not interested in the limelight,” explained Ricciardo, whose Formula 1 career came courtesy of Red Bull back at HRT in 2011.

He then moved to Toro Rosso for 2012 and finally Red Bull for 2014, winning seven grands prix for the squad.

“If I really break it down, there’s two groups of people I really owe this opportunity to, like my career in Formula 1: it’s my parents, and it’s Didi [Dietrich Mateschitz] and Red Bull,” the 33-year-old said.

“They are ultimately the ones that allowed me to pursue this dream.

“I’m not alone. There’s thousands, if not tens of thousands of Red Bull athletes who can really say the same thing and tip their hat to Mr Mateschitz, so it’s certainly a sad day but forever appreciative of everything he and his company did.

“It’s quite uncommon to see someone remain so grounded and so humble, and so down to earth, and just a very good example of a human, I felt,” he added.

“Condolences to his family and everyone obviously who’s had some sort of involvement with him or the company over the course of time.”

Gasly’s career also began at Toro Rosso before being promoted to the senior team where his career looked to be over.

Relegated back to the squad now known as Scuderia AlphaTauri, the Frenchman rewarded that faith with victory in the Italian Grand Prix in 2020, only the team’s second race win (Vettel scored its first at the same venue in 2008).

“In this paddock, we probably six or seven drivers can be grateful and thankful for what he provided us, being part of the Red Bull family,” he said.

“The chances he has given to young drivers, but just to athletes in general, like the family that it was because, it was a huge company, I think is it’s pretty incredible to see what he has achieved.”

Mateschitz kept a notoriously low profile, shying away from the media spotlight and rarely giving interviews. Even the drivers whose careers he invested in so heavily had limited contact.

” Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend much time with him,” said Perez.

“I saw him twice or three times in my period, but he was super nice, super humble really, really passionate on his team, about the athletes, about the sport in general and, obviously, all his family.”

Gasly added: “I did get the chance to have a couple of dinners, but probably not as much as Seb or Max, but he was obviously coming every season and seeing him in Austria.

“It was just his personality and his way of managing things.

“He was extremely passionate, and he loved sport and F1.

“He had two F1 teams for over 15 years. Even big brands like Mercedes and Ferrari didn’t come into F1 like that. It’s just incredible what it has done for all of us but also in the sport in general.”

Now at Ferrari, Sainz’s Formula 1 career also started at Toro Rosso in 2015, partnering with Verstappen in their rookie season.

“I would like to, first of all, send my condolences, to his family and to the whole Red Bull family,” the Spaniard said.

“I knew Dietrich quite a lot and I’ve been also helped by his support in the past.

“I wouldn’t have reached Formula 1 without him.

“The amount of things that he’s done for motorsport, not only Formula 1 and young drivers but if you think about how many Red Bull logos are out there in all the categories from MotoGP to F1, to all the sports that you can think about and how he has supported young talent – how many people have been supported by him and by his vision by his idea, it’s crazy.

“I think he’s a super important guy he’s a super nice guy, a guy that I always enjoy being around.”