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Mark Webber has recalled how Red Bull founder, the late Dietrich Mateschitz, ‘always loved’ Max Verstappen’s demeanour at the F1 team prior to his death in 2022.
Max Verstappen has spent the entirety of his Formula 1 career so far representing the Red Bull brand, having been signed to the team’s driver development programme as a teenager.
His first title feat in 2021 marked him as the second driver to come through the Austrian constructor’s junior academy and win a world championship, following Sebastian Vettel’s four-peat at the start of the 2010s.
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Helmut Marko is credited with securing Verstappen’s signature for Red Bull and was a close confidante of Dietrich Mateschitz, one of the co-founders of the energy drinks company.
In fact, one of the reasons why Marko ended up signing Verstappen was due to the fact that the young Dutchman reminded him of a former friend of Mateschitz’s, Jochen Rindt, who is renowned for being F1’s only posthumous world champion.
Mark Webber recalls how Dietrich Mateschitz ‘always loved’ Max Verstappen’s spirit
In an interview with TalkSPORT, former Red Bull F1 driver Mark Webber recalled the sentiments that the late Dietrich Mateschitz held about Verstappen before his death at the age of 78 in 2022.
The nine-time Grand Prix winner was initially asked about the Dutchman’s future in the sport amid recent rumours of him seeking an exit due to the current technical regulations.
“Well, he’s a huge asset to any organisation, just look at his trophy cabinet,” started Webber. “It’s incredible. And that gladiatorial spirit, which Dietrich Mateschitz always had, is in Verstappen. That’s the mould that Dietrich always loved, and it’s how Max operates.
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“He’s there to bring a lot to the sport. He’s there to be the athletic, gladiatorial component. He’s an out-and-out racer, so he brings immense visibility to the sport. He has done through, obviously, the 2021 championship with Lewis, which was absolutely extraordinary.
“They both got out of the car, they shook each other’s hands and, yeah, that’s what the sport’s all about. So, Max brings that spark, he brings the fire, he brings the entertainment factor, which we want. We don’t want sterile; some drivers can’t offer that.
“So, Max is brilliant for the sport and for Red Bull. He’s held them in there for a long period. Obviously, his performances have been incredible. You have to be a brave man to write him off.
“No one has ever written Max Verstappen off, and that’s why I’m a fan of his. I’m a fan of his whole team and how they go about things.”
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