GrandPrix247 2022 man of the year: Dietrich Mateschitz without a doubt, this Award was decided by our Editorial Team and the only shame is that it is delivered posthumously to a great Formula 1 man.
In fairness, the Red Bull founder deserved to be F1 Man of the Year probably a dozen times or more during his life; such was his impact on our sport. The more we delved into his past, the more we realized that he deserves far more recognition than he ever got, or sought.
Mateschitz was a very private man, and his influence through Red Bull and the energy drinks fad he pioneered, which so many have followed since but none have left the mark he did.
Forget his passion for all things motorsport, extreme sports and aviation – his role in F1 is what we on this site most remember, and cherish.
Reports over the years indicate that without Mateschitz’s influence and passion for the sport, F1 might not have survived. It was Dietrich who bought Minardi, turning it into Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Junior Red Bull F1 team at a time when the top flight was losing entrants alarmingly when small teams and manufacturers walked away.
Furthermore, Red Bull developed a young driver programme under Helmut Marko that has gone on to produce not only F1 World Champions and F1 winners, but also sponsored dozens of drivers, giving them a shot at the big time. Sure many failed to make it to the very top, but those that didn’t have been well served, not only with the blessed chapter of their lives backed by Red Bull, but the doors and opportunities that opened for them thereafter.
Many, many top drivers owe their careers in motorsport to Dietrich, and the incredible company he created; in what must be the most fetching rags-to-riches tale of modern times.
The F1 journey started from the humble beginnings of sponsoring Austrian F1 driver Gerhard Berger in the eighties, to Red Bull being established as one of the most potent forces in F1. With two teams in place, the glory began on that memorable day at Monza when Sebastian Vettel claimed the organization’s first F1 victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix – in a Toro Rosso!
Then, the precocious German, promoted to Red Bull, claimed a chunk of F1’s history with Dietrich’s dream team by winning all the F1 Titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 led by Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, and Adrian Newey – that the same trio remains at the helm is testament to Mateschitz’s loyalty.
He kept the faith even when Mercedes took ‘ownership’ of the top flight for most of the past decade. Mateschitz might have changed things because he could, but didn’t. He persevered with them, and they delivered again.
It is only fitting, that on the last lap of his life, Mateschitz witnessed Red Bull’s return to the top with the superstar they made – Max Verstappen – which no doubt sent him, at 78, onto the next chapter of his journey with a proud smile, which he richly deserved.
From GRANDPRIX247, rest in peace, Dietrich Mateschitz and thank you for all you did during your life, everything Red Bull achieves in the future will always have the ‘Didi’ touch. (Compiled by Paul Velasco)
Dietrich Mateschitz Life Highlights
Mateschitz was born on May 20, 1944, in Sankt Marein im Mürztal, Styria, Austria, into a Croatian family. He took 10 years to get a marketing degree from what is now the Vienna University of Economics and Business.
His first job was at Unilever, where he marketed detergents. He then moved to Blendax, the German cosmetics company, which is now owned by Procter & Gamble. Mateschitz’s job involved marketing of the Blendax brand of toothpaste, for which he had to travel frequently.
On one such business trip, to Thailand, he discovered a Thai syrupy energy-boosting drink named Krating Daeng, which cured his jet lag. Mateschitz liked the taste of the drink and decided to develop his own energy drink. Thus, he approached the owner of the Thai drink brand, Chaleo Yoovidhya, suggesting a partnership.
They sealed a deal to share 49 percent of the company’s share each, while the remaining 2 percent was supposed to be given to Yoovidhya’s son. Mateschitz thus launched his version of the canned energy-boosting drink, which is now widely popular as Red Bull. However, in its formative years, there was no existing market for energy drinks.
Mateschitz tapped the opportunity to launch a one-of-a-kind product. The berry-flavored Red Bull finally hit the European market (Austria first) in 1987 and turned out to be a hit. The original Red Bull mix was sweeter than the modern version, but the base combination has been the same, containing taurine and caffeine.
Soon, other companies started manufacturing similar drinks. However, instead of being threatened by that, Mateschitz was motivated. Subsequently, Red Bul became a world leader in the energy drink market. ‘Red Bull’ primarily earned profits from Japan and India.
Being a pilot and extreme sports enthusiast himself, Mateschitz heavily marketed Red Bull among extreme sports enthusiasts, which goes perfectly with its tagline.
He wanted to create a cult following to promote the drink. Back then, social media platforms were yet to be introduced. Thus, Mateschitz found popular university students and paid them to throw parties in unusual locations.
Mateschitz supplied the students with enough Red Bull cans to tie on the tops of their cars when they went back to university. The trend turned it into a popular drink that was served in nightclubs.
Red Bull previously sponsored and owned over 60 percent of the Sauber F1 team but ended its contract at the end of 2001.
In November 2004, Ford sold the Jaguar Racing F1 team to Mateschitz. The team was renamed Red Bull Racing and won the F1 World Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship’ for four consecutive years, from 2010 until 2013; most recently Red Bull’s current star Max Verstappen was World Champion two years in a row, with the team winning the 2022 Constructors’ Title too, the ailing boss witnessing these.
In late 2004, Mateschitz bought the A1-Ring racing circuit and renamed it the Red Bull Ring. The circuit re-opened in May 2011 to host the 2011 DTM season. Even though Mateschitz had first announced he would not return to the F1 program, Red Bull notified the FIA on December 2012 that they would like to host a Grand Prix.
Beyond motorsport, in April 2005, Mateschitz bought SV Austria Salzburg football club. Then, in September, he collaborated with former F1 driver Gerhard Berger to purchase the Minardi team from Australian millionaire and airline magnate Paul Stoddart and renamed it Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Under Mateschitz’s watch, apart from ‘owning’ most extreme sports and running motorsport programs from NASCAR to F1, Red Bull also acquired football (soccer) teams in Europe and the Americas.
Mateschitz was the owner of Servus TV, an Austria-based channel managed by the Red Bull Media House, and also owned one of Austria’s top society magazines, Seitenblicke. He, however, avoided the celebrity circuit and watched F1 races on TV instead.
Mateschitz’s parents were primary school teachers. They separated when he was young and he left his family when he was a teenager. Mateschitzz lived in Fuschl am See, Austria, and owns Laucala Island in Fiji.
In 2013, Mateschitz bought a custom-made extreme submarine named DeepFlight Super Falcon. It was meant for his guests at his Laucala Island resort.
He is a licensed pilot and owns a private jet, airport and hangar, exclusively for his collection of old planes, including the Falcon 900, Piper Super Cub jets, and the last-ever Douglas DC-6B to have been manufactured. His collection of old planes is called the Flying Bulls. Besides the Douglas DC- 6B, his collection also consists of the North American B-25J Mitchell, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, and more.
On the non-sporting front, Mateschitz co-founded the Wings for Life foundation which supports spinal cord research. Since 2014, the foundation has organized a fund-raising event called ‘Wings for Life World Run.’
Red Bull sold 9.8 billion cans worldwide in 2021, enough to provide caffeine to more than 80% of the planet. (Source: The Famous People)