Felix Baumgartner: 1969 – 2025

      Last night, the sports world was shaken by the sad news of the tragic death of Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian parachutist and holder of an incredible record for jumps from the stratosphere.

      For many years, he collaborated with Red Bull and, with their support, achieved numerous impressive milestones recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. In particular, the Red Bull Stratos project was specifically carried out for him: on October 14, 2012, Baumgartner, after extensive preparations, performed a jump from a height of 39 km and became the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall without any aircraft.

      "We are stunned and infinitely saddened," states an official statement from Red Bull. "Felix was someone who pushed the boundaries of what's possible. He was always an absolute professional, characterized by maximum composure and incredible attention to detail. He never relied on luck. Felix, we will miss you very much."

      Baumgartner died on July 17 while performing a moped flight near the Italian town of Porto Sant'Elpidio, on the Adriatic coast. For some reason, he lost control of the moped, which subsequently crashed to the ground within the hotel complex. An investigation is underway to determine whether the disaster was caused by a technical failure or a heart attack experienced by the pilot.

      But Felix Baumgartner also had another passionate hobby – motorsport. At Red Bull's invitation, he frequently attended races, and at one point, David Coulthard took him for a ride on the Paul Ricard track in a three-seater based on a Formula 1 chassis.

      He enjoyed the experience so much that within a few months, he entered a race himself at Hockenheim driving a Volkswagen Scirocco sports car in the Scirocco Cup series. In December 2013, he was scheduled to participate in the Champions Race in Thailand, but the traditional winter race was canceled due to the unstable political situation in Bangkok.

      However, in 2014, Baumgartner competed at a higher level – in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. Along with three fellow professional drivers, he piloted an Audi R8 LMS, and their team finished in a very respectable 9th place.