Dietrich Mateschitz signed off on the creation of Red Bull Powertrains shortly before his passing, with the first RBPT engine now set to honour his legacy.
Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed that the organisation’s first Formula 1 power unit will carry the name of the team’s late founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, as a mark of respect for the man who transformed Red Bull into a championship-winning force.
Mateschitz passed away in October 2022, having purchased the Jaguar F1 team back in 2004 and relaunched it under the Red Bull banner. Under his ownership, the Milton Keynes-based outfit achieved remarkable success, securing six drivers’ championships and four constructors’ titles during his lifetime. The Austrian businessman died just one day before Red Bull sealed the 2022 constructors’ championship at the United States Grand Prix.
Red Bull Powertrains was established in 2021 following Honda’s announcement that it would withdraw from Formula 1, allowing the team to take control of the Japanese manufacturer’s engines. That move laid the foundations for Red Bull’s ambitious plan to become a fully independent power unit manufacturer. In 2023, a major step forward was taken when Ford agreed to partner Red Bull as a technical collaborator, supporting the development of Red Bull’s first in-house engines ahead of the 2026 regulation changes.
Those new power units will supply both Red Bull Racing and sister team Racing Bulls. Speaking about the project, Mekies revealed that the inaugural engine will be officially designated the ‘DM01’, a direct tribute to Mateschitz and his lasting influence on the team.
“This very first engine is called ‘DM01’ in tribute to Mr Mateschitz,” Mekies revealed.
“It is his vision, his boldness, he released the Red Bull spirit that is the reason we are all here today.
“He made that unbelievable decision at the time to put us onto the route of being completely independent with both the chassis and the power unit.
“He was not scared by the scale of the challenge, and today, we have our opportunity to pay tribute to him and hopefully, to make him proud.”
The naming of the DM01 underlines how central Mateschitz’s philosophy remains to Red Bull’s future ambitions, as the team prepares to enter one of the most significant new chapters in its F1 history.
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