VIENNA: Formula One world champion Max Verstappen led the tributes on Sunday to Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who turned the energy drink into a worldwide success and pumped money into a title-winning F1 team and several football clubs.
Mateschitz died on Saturday at the age of 78 after a long illness, having amassed a fortune estimated by Forbes at $27.4 billion (27.8 billion euros), making him Austria’s richest person.
He took a sweet drink that was already popular in Asia for its apparent energy-giving properties and adapted it to Western tastes.
Mateschitz was a savvy marketing man who popularised the Red Bull brand by associating it with sport, investing heavily in Formula One, football and extreme pursuits.
Red Bull now employs 13,000 people in 172 countries with an annual turnover of around eight billion euros. It sells nearly 10 billion cans of the drink a year.
Verstappen, who two weeks ago won his second consecutive world drivers’ title at the wheel of a Red Bull car, said he was determined to deliver a strong performance in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix as a tribute to Mateschitz.
“It’s been hard news for everyone, for Red Bull and for the sport and for me in general, in my career and in my life,” the Dutchman said.
“It is a very tough day. We missed out in qualifying by a little bit, but there is a race tomorrow and we’ll try to do it for him... we are going to make him proud.”
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said Mateschitz had led a “simply breathtaking life.”
“Dietrich Mateschitz built up a world-famous and successful company, and we have lost a great supporter of top-class sport and extreme sports,” the president tweeted.
Apart from its substantial investment in the F1 team, Red Bull bought the football club of the Austrian city of Salzburg in 2005, then in 2009 acquired Leipzig when the German team were languishing in the fifth division.
German law bans the use of a company title in a club’s name, so the Leipzig board of directors called their club RasenBallsport Leipzig — literally “lawn ball sport” Leipzig — whose initials “RB” mirror those of Red Bull.
From 2016, the club were promoted to the Bundesliga top flight and one season later qualified for the Champions League after finishing second in the table.
The Austrian company also captured the New York MetroStars franchise in the United States in 2006, turning them into the New York Red Bulls.
Red Bull has also branched out into extreme sports, sponsoring events such as air acrobatics and cliff diving.
When Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped to earth from a helium balloon in 2012, his suit was plastered with the Red Bull logo.
But it is in Formula One that the company has really made its mark in the world of sport.
The head of the Red Bull F1 team, Christian Horner, said “thankfully” Mateschitz lived to see Verstappen clinch his second title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this month.
Horner said Mateschitz was “a great man, one of few of a kind” who had “proved you can make a difference. He was a passionate supporter and the backbone of all we do.”
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz secured pole position for the Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, but his thoughts were with his former team.
“I can’t be too happy after the loss of Dietrich Mateschitz. My condolences to his family, friends and the entire Red Bull family,” Sainz said on Twitter.
Red Bull are currently facing accusations from rival teams that they have cheated by breaching Formula One’s cost cap regulations.
The Red Bull drink was born during one of Mateschitz’s many business trips as marketing director of a German cosmetics company when he was served a sweet beverage common in Asia in a luxury bar in Hong Kong.
He was immediately fond of it and was impressed by the drink’s apparent ability to help him overcome his jet lag.
He decided to partner with the drink’s developer Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya and the two men founded Red Bull in 1984.
Verstappen leads tributes to Red Bull founder Mateschitz
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Verstappen leads tributes to Red Bull founder Mateschitz
- Dietrich Mateschitz was a savvy marketing man who popularised the Red Bull brand by associating it with sport
- The Red Bull drink was born when Mateschitz was served a sweet beverage in a luxury bar in Hong Kong
McIlroy soars to the top of the leaderboard at Dubai Invitational
- Scotland’s Connor Syme, Spaniard David Puig were McIlroy’s closest rivals at four under
- There was a minute’s silence held at 1.30 p.m. for the 40 victims of the Crans-Montana fire during New Year celebrations
DUBAI: Rory McIlroy declared his opening round of 66 as a “nice way to start the year” as he held a one-shot lead at the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The world number two made a rapid start with seven birdies and a bogey after 10 holes to send a daunting message to the rest of the field as he led by three shots at six under par.
His momentum stalled as he carded a dropped shot and seven pars to close his first round of the year in 66 and take the clubhouse lead at five under.
Matt Wallace rolled in four straight birdies around the turn to surge ahead at seven under, but two dropped shots and a double bogey saw him slip down the leaderboard.
Scotland’s Connor Syme and Spaniard David Puig were McIlroy’s closest rivals at four under.
“It was good. I got off to a great start, played a very good first nine,” McIlroy said.
“Then the wind got up a little bit and felt like that front nine, which was our second nine, was the trickier one.
“I made a silly bogey on three and then didn’t capitalize on the par-five after that.
“So, I felt like I left a few out on that side, but I played a really good nine holes of golf. Overall, a nice way to start the year.”
McIlroy, who started at the 10th, was inches from an opening eagle before he climbed to two under at the 11th with a close-range birdie.
He slid a four-foot par putt by at the 12th, but responded immediately with birdies at the 13th and the par-three 14th thanks to a stunning tee-shot.
The Northern Irishman took the outright lead at four under with another gain at the 17th and when finished his front nine with another birdie, he was two shots clear.
McIlroy was in relentless form as he rolled in his seventh birdie of the day, and third in a row, at the first to extend his advantage to three strokes at six under.
However, Oliver Lindell closed in on the early leader courtesy of a stunning birdie blitz from the ninth to the 13th.
McIlroy bogeyed the third to slip back alongside the Finn to share the lead at five under and they were joined by Guerrier, starting on the back nine, who briefly made it a three-way tie after his seventh birdie of the round at the sixth to go with his double bogey at the ninth before fading away.
Matt Wallace opened with a bogey, but bounced back with a birdie at the third and a chip-in eagle at the fourth.
Another gain followed at the sixth before he surged to the summit courtesy of four straight birdies from the eighth to move two ahead at seven under.
The Englishman dropped a shot at the 12th, double bogeyed the 16th and closed with a bogey as his two-shot lead evaporated.
Syme and Puig were one shot behind McIlroy at four under following five birdies and a bogey in their 67s.
Wallace endured a rollercoaster card of an eagle, six birdies, three dropped shots and a double bogey to finish to sit in a tie for fifth at three under, Lindell double bogeyed the last in his 68, while French pair Guerrier and Antoine Rozner and Spaniard Angel Ayora were also at that mark.
There was a minute’s silence held at 1.30 p.m. for the 40 victims of the Crans-Montana fire during New Year celebrations, which included rising Italian talent Emanuele Galeppini, who was about to start his tenure as Junior Captain at Dubai Creek Resort.
Black ribbons were worn by players, caddies and DP World Tour staff as a mark of respect.
