Toto Wolff once represented Red Bull colours when he was a GT driver, and his compatriot Deitrich Mateschitz sponsored him.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is currently the biggest adversary to Red Bull. In the turbo-hybrid era, Wolff’s side was a group to envy till 2021, which dominated the entire grid.
In 2012, the rivalry between the two sides was piqued, as the championship fight couldn’t have gone more intense. Even this year, Wolff became the biggest opposition to Red Bull amidst their budget breach controversy.
So, Wolff has left no stone unturned to make things harder for Red Bull. But several years ago, his relations with the Austrian side weren’t bad, and he even represented them once.
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Toto Wolff was proud to wear Red Bull colours
The Mercedes boss Wolff back when he was a GT driver, was sponsored by his compatriot and Red Bull owner Deiritch Mateshitz. The former Austrian driver claims he was proud of wearing Red Bull colours.
“It was on a car that was sponsored by Red Bull but I was proud to wear those colours as a junior driver, GT driver back in the day, and being a Red Bull driver was something prestigious and I was proud to wear the overalls and the team kit,” said Wolff.
However, Wolff didn’t continue his driving career for long after realising he wasn’t good enough. He then had a successful spell in the finance industry before he joined the business of F1, and the rest is history.
The biggest contribution to F1 by an individual
Mateschitz became one of the biggest names when he involved his brand in several sports. From football and F1 to several adventure sports, Red Bull is everywhere.
Wolff claims that Mateschitz used to invest a huge amount of his company’s profits in sports. He even credits the late billionaire as the biggest individual contributor to F1.
“This one was for Dietrich.”
Verstappen dedicates his win in Austin to Dietrich Materschitz ❤️ pic.twitter.com/H7iHCHOcaS
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 23, 2022
Under Mateschitz’s guidance, Red Bull has won five F1 constructors’ titles and six drivers’ championships. Thus, his legacy in motorsport will forever live on.
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