Several drivers on the grid have a past with one of Red Bull's teams. Even Carlos Sainz was once part of the Austrians' training programme, so the Ferrari man also knows Dietrich Mateschitz well.
Mateschitz died on Saturday at the age of 78 after a sickbed. The news of the death sent shockwaves through the Red Bull Racing team. Sainz was also saddened by the loss of the Austrian. During the press conference after qualifying, the Spaniard expressed his appreciation for everything Mateschitz had meant to him and to racing.
Super important for motorsport
"I wouldn't been in Formula 1 without him, I wouldn't have reached Formula 1 without him. The amount of things that 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 and how he has supported young talent, how many people have been supported by him and by his vision, by his idea, is crazy and I think he was a super important guy, a super nice guy, a guy that I always enjoy being around and from here I want to send my condolences and rest in peace."
Sainz started in Formula 1 at Toro Rosso, now AlphaTauri. While his then-teammate Max Verstappen made the move to Red Bull as early as their second season, there was never a place for the Spaniard at the 'big' team.
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