Red Bull Wonder Boy Max Verstappen Eternally Grateful for Dietrich Mateschitz’s Support, Pledges to Deliver Red Bull ‘Pride’

Dietrich Mateschitz wasn’t just the owner of Red Bull Racing, but also a statesman of the sport who helped build the careers of several drivers in Formula 1. From Daniel Ricciardo to 4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, almost every driver who has driven for Red Bull considers Dietrich’s contribution to be immense for their career.

Therefore, it did not come as a surprise when Max Verstappen vowed to win the race on Sunday to make Mateschitz proud.

Max Verstappen qualified as P3 on Saturday but will start P2 on the grid owing to Charles Leclerc’s 10-place grid penalty. The grid penalty came because of changes to the Monegasque’s Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). Max’s teammate Sergio Perez took a 5-place grid penalty as well for some component changes to his ICE. He will start P9 on the grid.

Max Verstappen and Co. to pay tributes to Dietrich Mateschitz with a win on Sunday

The news of Dietrich Mateschitz passing away came just an hour before qualifying started on Saturday. As per GP Fans’ report, the entire Red Bull crew was called into the team’s hospitality unit to deliver the news. Max Verstappen, talking post-qualifying, revealed it was sad news for the team.

Talking about making Mateschitz proud, Max said, “It’s a very tough day. We tried to give it everything in qualifying, unfortunately, we missed out by a little bit but there is still a race ahead, of course, and we are going to try to make him proud.”

The current champion told how hard the news was for him given the impact Mateschitz had on him. “I think what he has meant for Red Bull but also for the sport, and especially also for me, what he has done for me in my career so far and in general my life, it’s really tough.”

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Daniel Ricciardo pays condolences to Mateschitz’s family

Daniel Ricciardo arguably had his best years in Formula 1 during his time at Red Bull. Out of the 8 races he has won so far, 7 came for Red Bull. He too talked about the integral part the Red Bull founder played in his career.

Talking during a post-qualifying interview, Ricciardo said, “Just hasn’t been the best last hour and just want to pass my condolences to his family and all the Red Bull family. [He] Played an integral part in my career. Very instrumental into just getting me where I am ultimately. So, really sad to hear that news.”

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Ricciardo bowed out of the qualifying in the first session, finishing P17. While the situation isn’t ideal, Ricciardo expressed a positive attitude toward the circuit.