Berger looks back: 'Mateschitz offered a sponsorship deal, with no money or business'

With the quality of the current Red Bull Racing team, it's hard to imagine racing without it. Yet every racing great has its beginnings, and in Red Bull's case, it all began with a conversation between Gerhard Berger and Dietrich Mateschitz in 1985.

In the Formula 1 podcast In the Fast Lane Austrian former driver Berger recalls the moment he came into contact with Mateschitz, the co-founder of the Red Bull company. "I was at the Austrian GP. I was bankrupt, I had no money, I could hardly get my train ticket to the Grand Prix", the Austrian begins.

No money, but an idea

Berger met Mateschitz as a fan, and the then still ambitious businessman didn't leave too good an impression. Berget continues: "Suddenly I had this man in front of me in the paddock and he said ‘Hello, my name is Mr Mateschitz and I am a big fan of you and I would like to sponsor you. … I have just a small problem, I don’t have any money yet, and no company.’ And I said: ‘Welcome to the club, we are two.’”

“So I went ‘Okay’, and thought ‘just go back to the car and forget it.’ But the chemistry was alright so we at least went to drink a beer after the practice. That’s what we did, and we talked about the sponsorship and did a small sponsorship deal. Around 10 thousand dollars."

Later, when the Red Bull company had officially gained a foothold, Berger heard from his fellow countryman again. From this followed the moment that heralded Red Bull's presence in Formula 1, sponsoring their first driver.

Berger: "A couple of months later I get a telephone call, and he says: ‘It’s me, it’s Mr Mateschitz. I have my company now, do we still have a deal?’ That was the start of the company Red Bull, that was the start of the connection to Formula 1."