The late Red Bull boss Mateschitz and his Formula 1 work

The reporter never felt so important in Formula 1 again. Test drives in Jerez de la Frontera, actually a boring affair. But at least an audience with world champion Sebastian Vettel. Vettel had requested Red Bull Racing’s motorhome, but needed a little more time. You can help yourself: appetizers, nuts, fresh fruit. Every time the reporter put down the coffee mug, a waitress came and polished the bar table. Bananas and apples were sorted again, as were the inevitable beverage cans.

Vettel later laughed at the assumption that a champion would probably always be courted in this way. He said it was just that Dietrich Mateschitz had announced his arrival and nobody knew exactly when he was coming. Then there is always a state of emergency.

Then Mateschitz was there all of a sudden, his jacket casually slung over his shoulder, his sleeves rolled up in the Andalusian midday sun. The appetizers didn’t interest him much, he went straight to the pit lane. In the command post, he felt at home there, although there are far more interesting things than tire tests. When Vettel set the best time of the day, Mateschitz watched the race car with concentration and pensiveness. He looked like an alpine general. One is inclined to say: like the emperor of the pinnacle of motorsport.

He wanted to fabricate a champion

Red Bull started in Formula 1 with a patch on the overalls of the Austrian driver Gerhard Berger. Then Mateschitz took part in the Swiss team Sauber. If there hadn’t been a dispute with its founder Peter Sauber in 2001 about the Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi, who was sponsored by Red Bull, there might be World Cup trophies en masse in Hinwil today.

But Mateschitz withdrew his shares and worked on a system that had never existed in top motorsport. He wanted to be more than a patron or just any sponsor. His brand should have its own team, and even more: Red Bull should prove that it can not only produce stimulant drinks, but also a world champion.

In the paddock they whispered what this visionary from Styria was just imagining. But Mateschitz only needed five years for the plan to be successfully implemented. He bought the Jaguar team and the Minardi team, both bad backbenchers, and turned them into Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, a farm team and talent pool now called Alpha Tauri.

The Mateschitz model is the antidote to Ferrari or Mercedes, an unusual formula for success, driven by billions. Red Bull even published its own magazine with a mobile printer for the paddock. Annoying the establishment was Mateschitz’ private amusement. He was far closer to the old zampano Bernie Ecclestone than to the functionary Jean Todt.

Adabeis called him “Didi”, initiates “DM”

The true adventure that connects Mateschitz with Formula 1: accelerating ideas, doing business in overtaking mode. Mateschitz only took care of very few things himself: calls to the garage to congratulate on big victories, meetings with the bosses of the automobile industry to have a say in the rules. For the rest he had Helmut Marko, his compatriot a year older. One of the very few confidants who were allowed to chat about Red Bull in public.

Of course, many adabeis always wanted to know what “Didi” was thinking. But even the mention of the pet name showed that they couldn’t really be close. Insiders only spoke of “DM” and how they pronounced it showed respect. The man avoided journalists, at least for long interviews, even if his Austrian colleagues were always on alert. He only wanted the big stage for his product, not for himself.

Such restraint is rare in the world of the fast, the rich and many of the seemingly rich. And she was more than the mere composure of a multi-billionaire. Rather, Dietrich Mateschitz appreciated the privilege of being in charge. Why should he still talk about it? Actions were his beliefs. That’s why the grandstands of the old Österreichring fell victim to the excavators, without there being a real building permit for a new motorsport performance center.

Pretty home

Mateschitz had to restore the race track to its original state, but of course he made everything much nicer. When the Austrian Grand Prix was allowed to be held in Spielberg again, he promised all people in the valley, which was not blessed with wealth, a home improvement store subsidy if they would decorate their houses and gardens nicely. As if the world should see what a great area he comes from. In the middle of the new racing arena, a 68-ton jumping bull made of steel was enthroned, a double symbol: Styrian Mateschitz was born under the zodiac sign Taurus.

The competition type Mateschitz was fascinated by the permanent acceleration, the testing of the limit in every corner. Perhaps also because it matched the pace of my own ascent. He was never a gambler, but mostly a bold and cool strategist. Which is why the commitment of Adrian Newey, who is regarded as the mastermind of motorsport, was a logical and brilliant move.

But it’s not just about the technology. The fact that Red Bull brought in many show effects around the World Championship races only led to the change from top motorsport to a modern professional sport, which has turned into the current boom, especially among the younger generations. There was even a plan that Mateschitz would buy the entire series and market it accordingly.

He looked more like a fit 60

His always athletic demeanor, even when he was in national costume, and his stately figure made him stand out in crowds. He didn’t look like he was almost 80, more like he was in his 60s. The fact that he was absent from his home Grand Prix this summer was the first indication that he was badly injured. People were already whispering.

Apparently in order to put his motorsport legacy in order, he wanted to bring his team into the Porsche family this fall. When that failed with a bang a few weeks ago because the team’s management didn’t want their freedom to be restricted, it was clear that something had to be wrong with the boss’s health. Otherwise Mateschitz would hardly have allowed himself to be offered that.

In purely business terms, Dietrich Mateschitz had always shared power with the Thai co-owners. But on the slopes, he alone had the last word. Red Bull in sport, that was him. Who will it be in the future, who could it be anyway?