Austin (Texas), Oct 23 (IANS): Ahead of the United States Grand Prix, the F1 paddock was rocked by the sad news that Red Bull co-founder and owner Dietrich Mateschitz had passed away at the age of 78.

A hugely influential figure, Mateschitz oversaw the rise of Red Bull from F1 newcomers to multiple-time world champions, while adding a second team -- now known as AlphaTauri -- as an additional pathway for talented young drivers.

Following the announcement, F1 drivers and team bosses shared their memories of Mateschitz and assessed the mark he left on the sport.

Stefano Domenicali, F1 President and CEO said, "I am deeply saddened by the news that Dietrich Mateschitz, a hugely respected and much-loved member of the Formula 1 family has passed away. He was an incredible visionary entrepreneur and a man who helped to transform our sport and created the Red Bull brand that is known all around the world."

"I will miss him greatly, as will the whole community in Formula 1, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and the Red Bull and AlphaTauri teams at this very sad time."

Remembering Mateschitz's contribution to the sport, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President said, "I am deeply saddened to hear the news that Dietrich Mateschitz has passed away. He was a towering figure in motorsport and with Red Bull not only established two hugely successful Formula 1 teams but also supported motorsport of every kind and helped the careers of countless young drivers through Red Bull's junior programmes. The thoughts of all the FIA family are with his loved ones at this time and he will be greatly missed."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and Mateschitz worked together to build Red Bull into a title-winning force.

"It's very, very sad. What a great man -- he's few of a kind. What he achieved and what he's done for so many people around the world, across different sports, is second to none. So many of us have to be so grateful to him for the opportunities he's provided and the vision he had, the strength of character [he had], and never being afraid to follow dreams, and chase dreams. That's what he did here in F1, proving that you can make a difference," the Red Bull team boss said.

"We're just incredibly grateful for him, everything that he's done, everything that he's supported us with over the years. So many drivers, so many team members, and so many people in this pit lane owe him so much. I am grateful to Dietrich Mateschitz for all he has done for motor racing and will remember his passion and courage as an entrepreneur and as a man who always loved new challenges.

"On behalf of everyone at Ferrari, I would like to offer our?condolences to his family and to our friends at Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. Our thoughts and?sympathies are with them all."

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen said, "Of course, for us, it was a tough entry to qualifying. You don't really care about the result as well -- it doesn't matter -- because we're more about what happened today, and also what he has meant to everyone within the team, the whole team, what he has built up, the company itself, Red Bull and personally to me.

"Without him, I wouldn't be sitting here today and I wouldn't have had the success I've had, so it's incredibly tough for everyone in the team. Luckily, I got to see him a couple of weeks back, so we could spend a little bit of time together, but it's still a tough day," he added.