Officers with the Crimson Bull racing crew on the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, introduced Mateschitz’s dying Saturday. There was no rapid phrase the place he died, or a reason for dying.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motor sports activities governing physique FIA, mentioned Mateschitz was “a towering determine in motor sport.”

“The ideas of all of the FIA household are along with his family members presently and he might be tremendously missed.”

Mateschitz gained fame as the general public face of Crimson Bull, an Austrian-Thai conglomerate that claims it offered practically 10 billion cans of its caffeine and taurine-based drink in 172 nations worldwide final 12 months.

Mateschitz not solely helped the vitality drink grow to be widespread world wide, but additionally constructed up a sports activities, media, actual property and gastronomy empire across the model.

With the rising success of Crimson Bull, he considerably expanded his investments in sports activities, particularly motorsports and excessive sports activities, and Crimson Bull now operates soccer golf equipment, ice hockey groups and F1 racing groups. Crimson Bull additionally has contracts with a whole bunch of athletes in varied sports activities and a deep driver improvement program to get racers to the highest degree.

“It’s been onerous information for everybody — what he has meant for Crimson Bull, and naturally the game, and particularly for me,” mentioned Max Verstappen, who wrapped up his second consecutive F1 title two weeks in the past.

Verstappen on Sunday at Circuit of the Americas will attempt to tie Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel with an F1-record 13 victories in a season, and he’ll additionally try and clinch the constructors championship for Crimson Bull.

“What he has executed for me, my profession to this point, and usually my life, it’s actually robust, it’s a very robust day,” Verstappen mentioned. “There’s nonetheless a race forward and we’re going to attempt to make him proud tomorrow.”

Mateschitz and Thai investor Chaleo Yoovidhya based the corporate in 1984 after Mateschitz acknowledged the potential in advertising Krating Daeng – one other vitality drink created by Chaleo – for a western viewers. Crimson Bull says Mateschitz labored on the formulation for 3 years earlier than the modified drink was launched underneath its new identify in his native Austria in 1987.

Beneath Mateschitz’ stewardship, Crimson Bull shortly elevated its market share, first in Europe, then in america, helped by advertising campaigns selling the drink’s claimed stimulating properties and in depth sponsorship agreements in motorsports, soccer, excessive sports activities and the music trade.

The Crimson Bull Racing crew has loved success in Method 1, profitable the constructors’ championship in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, whereas German driver Vettel gained 4 drivers’ championships in row whereas signed to the crew.

Verstappen began in Crimson Bull’s driver improvement program and have become the youngest driver in F1 historical past to start out a grand prix when he began with the junior Toro Rosso crew at age 17 in 2015. The Dutchman is now essentially the most dominant driver within the sport.

“So many people must be so grateful to him for the alternatives he’s supplied and the imaginative and prescient he had, the power of character, and by no means being afraid to comply with goals, and chase goals. That’s what he did right here in F1, proving you can make a distinction,” Crimson Bull crew principal Christian Horner informed Sky Sports activities F1.

“We’re simply extremely grateful for him, all the things that he’s executed, all the things that he’s supported us with over time,” Horner added. “So many drivers, so many crew members, so many individuals on this pit lane owe him a lot. He was extremely happy with the crew, extremely happy with all the things we’ve executed and have been attaining, and he’s been a passionate supporter and the spine of all the things that we do.”

Crimson Bull operates soccer groups in high divisions throughout Austria, Germany, Brazil and america. The corporate began by shopping for Austrian membership SV Austria Salzburg in 2005 and rebranding it within the firm colours underneath the identify Crimson Bull Salzburg.

It repeated the transfer in Germany, the place it purchased fifth-tier membership SSV Markranstädt in 2009, rebranded it as RasenBallsport Leipzig, and financed its regular progress by the league system until it was promoted to the Bundesliga in 2016. German league laws prevented the corporate from naming the crew Crimson Bull Leipzig – its identify in German, RasenBallsport, means “grass ball sport Leipzig” however the membership simply refers to itself as RB Leipzig.

Mateschitz additionally made headlines for his populist views. He beforehand criticized German chancellor Angela Merkel for her dealing with of the refugee disaster over 2015-16. The Austrian Servus TV station, owned by Crimson Bull Media Home GmbH, is understood for selling right-wing provocative views.

Mateschitz purchased the Jaguar Racing crew from earlier proprietor Ford on the finish of 2004 and rebranded it as Crimson Bull for the 2005 season. Later that 12 months, he then additionally purchased Minardi and renamed it Toro Rosso, astutely utilizing it as a feeder crew for Crimson Bull.

—Auto Racing Author Jenna Fryer and Related Press Sports activities Author Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.

Join the Fortune Options electronic mail checklist so that you don’t miss our largest options, unique interviews, and investigations.