Sainz is grateful to Mateschitz: "I wouldn’t have reached Formula 1 without

Mateschitz lost his battle with cancer on Saturday. It ended up happening extremely quickly, something they did not expect at Red Bull Racing itself. The news also hit Sainz like a bomb. "I would like to send my condolences to his family and to the whole Red Bull family. I knew Dietrich quite a lot and I’ve been also helped by his support in the past; I wouldn’t have reached Formula 1 without him."

The Red Bull owner has meant an awful lot to motorsport. "The amount of things he’s done for motorsport, not only Formula 1 and young drivers, but if you think about how many Red Bull logos are out there in all the categories, from MotoGP to F1, to all the sports that you can think about – how he has supported young talent, how many people have been supported by him, and his vision and his idea, is crazy," he praises.

Sainz retains only fond memories of his meetings with Mateschitz. The death of the Austrian billionaire emotes him. "I think he’s a super important guy, a super nice guy, and a guy I always enjoyed being around. From here, I want to send my condolences. Rest in peace.” Mateschitz was 78 years old.