Red Bull is a leading brand because it turned an energy drink into a media, sports and engineering business: about 13.97 billion cans sold and a record €12.2 billion in revenue in 2025. The company markets through the land, water and air with its own teams, events and vehicles, and here are 15 of them.
Red Bull GmbH was founded in 1984 by Dietrich Mateschitz and Thai entrepreneur Chaleo Yoovidhya, inspired by Thailand’s Krating Daeng, a similar drink with the same logo idea. The Red Bull we know launched in Austria in 1987. The main strategy ever since is sponsoring and creating sports on land, water and in the air, and the company commits to both the sports and the technology within them.
| # | Venture | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mountain Biking and BMX: Red Bull Rampage | Land |
| 2 | Superbike Racing | Land |
| 3 | MotoGP | Land |
| 4 | Flying Bulls: North American B-25J Mitchell | Air |
| 5 | Flying Bulls: Lockheed P-38L Lightning | Air |
| 6 | Flying Bulls: Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair | Air |
| 7 | Flying Bulls: Douglas DC-6B | Air |
| 8 | Air Racing | Air |
| 9 | Jet Ski and Water Events | Water |
| 10 | Mobile Energy Team | Land |
| 11 | World Rally and Dakar | Land |
| 12 | NASCAR | Land |
| 13 | Racing Bulls (formerly Toro Rosso) | Land |
| 14 | Red Bull Racing in Formula 1 | Land |
| 15 | Hypercars: Aston Martin Valkyrie and Red Bull RB17 | Land |
1. Mountain Biking and BMX: Red Bull Rampage
Red Bull backs athletes across BMX and freeride mountain biking and runs its own events. The best known is Red Bull Rampage, an invitation-only freeride competition near Zion National Park in Virgin, Utah, usually held in October. First prize in 2025 was $250,000 plus a Ford Ranger Raptor, which makes it the richest event in mountain biking, and women were invited to compete for the first time in 2024.
Red Bull is also known for content around the sport, such as how-to videos and event coverage, which turns a niche discipline into a mainstream spectacle.
2. Superbike Racing
Superbike racing uses modified production motorcycles, in line with the old motto “win on Sunday, sell on Monday”. The most prominent Red Bull-linked name is Toprak Razgatl?o?lu, who raced in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2013 and 2014, won the Superbike World Championship in 2021, 2024 and 2025, and moved up to MotoGP with Prima Pramac Yamaha for 2026.
His path shows the Red Bull model at work: spot a rider early, develop him in a Red Bull series, and stay attached to the story as he reaches the top.
3. MotoGP
MotoGP is where the world’s best riders compete, and Red Bull’s presence is large. The brand is the sponsor behind the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, KTM’s factory squad in the premier class, and Red Bull KTM Tech3 competes alongside it.
Since 2007 Red Bull has also run the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, a one-make series for young riders. According to its record, 33 former Rookies had won at least one world championship as of 2026. Winning riders drinking from a can on the podium is the cherry on top.
4. Flying Bulls: North American B-25J Mitchell
Now let’s leave the ground. The Flying Bulls are a private fleet based at Hangar-7 in Salzburg, Austria, founded in 1999 by Dietrich Mateschitz and aerobatic pilot Siegfried Angerer. Hangar-7 is open to the public, and the neighboring Hangar-8 is used for maintenance and restoration.
The B-25J Mitchell is a World War II American bomber built in 1945, powered by Wright Cyclone R-2600 engines. It is one of the fleet’s best-known warbirds.
5. Flying Bulls: Lockheed P-38L Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a twin-engine American fighter widely used in the Pacific War. Around 10,000 were built, but few survive in flying condition. The Flying Bulls added a P-38L to the fleet in 2009, flying under the American registration N25Y.
It is regularly described as one of the best-kept examples in the world, and its twin-boom silhouette is unmistakable at airshows.
6. Flying Bulls: Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair
The F4U Corsair was a US Navy and Marine fighter-bomber from the 1940s. Red Bull’s F4U-4 is a single-seat aerobatic showpiece, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine of about 2,400 horsepower, and one of very few flying in Europe. The Flying Bulls’ original chief pilot, Sigi Angerer, was famous for flying his Corsair in airshows.
If you get to a Flying Bulls event, the Corsair’s display is worth seeing.
7. Flying Bulls: Douglas DC-6B
According to the Flying Bulls, the Douglas DC-6B is the crown jewel. It is a four-engine airliner built in 1958 that was once the presidential aircraft of Yugoslav leader Tito, and Red Bull reportedly bought it in 2000. Four Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines power it.
Not everyone can fly on it, but Red Bull has used it for team and guest flights over the years. The fleet keeps growing: in May 2026 it was announced that a Canadair F-86 Sabre would join, together with its pilot Frédéric Akary.
8. Air Racing
In 2003 Red Bull launched the Red Bull Air Race, a time-trial in which pilots flew through inflatable pylons known as air gates, mostly over water near major cities. The series paused for three years for safety improvements, returned in 2014, and Red Bull announced in May 2019 that it would end after the 2019 season.
In 2022 a new promoter relaunched the sport as the World Championship Air Race under the FAI, so Red Bull is no longer the organizer. It is a good example of a Red Bull idea becoming a sport of its own.
9. Jet Ski and Water Events
From the sky we come back down to the water. Red Bull’s drivers have long taken on side challenges before Grand Prix weekends, from mountain biking to jet skiing, and the Red Bull Aqua Battle before the 2007 Turkish Grand Prix is an early example.
More recently, Max Verstappen has been seen enjoying a jet ski ride between race weekends.
10. Mobile Energy Team
This may be the smartest piece of marketing on the list. Red Bull sends specially branded cars, the Red Bull Mini and similar custom vehicles, to events and campuses, driven by trained students and staff who hand out free samples. The target audience is young and active, and the car is the ad.
The cars are custom-designed on small models, and cozy, functional and catchy enough to attract attention wherever they park.
11. World Rally and Dakar
Rallying has long been a Red Bull sport. Sébastien Loeb won nine World Rally Championship titles in a row, a record that Sébastien Ogier equalled with his ninth title in 2025. Ogier tested a Red Bull Racing F1 car in 2017.
Carlos Sainz Sr. is another Red Bull name. He won the Dakar Rally several times, and when he entered the 2013 Dakar in a buggy, the team was supported by Qatar and Red Bull. His son, Carlos Sainz Jr., has been a member of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2010 and now races in Formula 1 for Williams.
12. NASCAR
NASCAR is among the most popular motorsport in America. Red Bull Racing ran in the series from 2006 to 2011, reportedly winning only two races in around 286 starts, and the team was later sold.
It is one of the few Red Bull motorsport efforts that did not work, which makes it an honest reminder that not every bet lands.
13. Racing Bulls (formerly Toro Rosso)
Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team has a long lineage. It began as Minardi, which Red Bull bought in 2006 and ran as Scuderia Toro Rosso until 2019, then as Scuderia AlphaTauri from 2020 to 2023, RB in 2024, and Racing Bulls since 2025. It is based in Faenza, Italy, with a base in Milton Keynes, England.
As of 2026 it is the longest-surviving active F1 team never to win a drivers’ or constructors’ title through its previous names. It has acted as a talent pipeline: Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz both debuted with the team in 2015, and Isack Hadjar was promoted from it to Red Bull Racing for 2026.
14. Red Bull Racing in Formula 1
Red Bull bought the Jaguar Racing team in 2005. Under Sebastian Vettel, it won four straight drivers’ and constructors’ titles from 2010 to 2013. Max Verstappen then won the drivers’ title in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and the team took constructors’ titles in 2022 and 2023. In 2025 Verstappen finished behind Lando Norris, and McLaren won the constructors’ title.
The team has changed a lot recently. Christian Horner, who ran it from its formation in 2005, departed in 2025 and was replaced as team principal by Laurent Mekies. In 2026, Red Bull Powertrains became Red Bull Ford Powertrains, giving the team its own engine in the new regulations. Isack Hadjar partners Verstappen this season.
15. Hypercars: Aston Martin Valkyrie and Red Bull RB17
The road-car side of Red Bull is now a reality. The Aston Martin Valkyrie, previously codenamed AM-RB 001, was designed with input from Red Bull Racing’s Adrian Newey. Production ran from November 2021 to December 2024 with 275 cars in total: 150 coupés, 85 Spiders and 40 AMR Pro models.
Red Bull then built its own. The RB17 is a track-only hybrid by Red Bull Advanced Technologies, designed mainly by Newey. It is limited to 50 cars at £5 million each, with a 4.5-litre Cosworth V10 making about 1,000 horsepower plus a 200 horsepower electric motor, and production is scheduled to begin in 2026. Our earlier look at the original project is here: Meet Aston Martin HyperCar: AM-RB 001.
Why does this marketing work?
Red Bull rarely buys advertising space. It owns the event, the team or the content, so every camera angle carries the brand. The strategy takes decades and enormous commitment, which is why few competitors have copied it fully.
The company has also entered entertainment through music. Red Bull Records, launched in 2007, is an independent label based in Los Angeles with offices in London.
Keep reading
- 10 facts about Max Verstappen: the driver at the center of Red Bull’s F1 story
- Meet Aston Martin HyperCar: AM-RB 001: the first Red Bull hypercar project
- Highest paid MotoGP riders: the premier class where Red Bull KTM competes
FAQ
Is Red Bull a Formula 1 team?
Yes. Red Bull GmbH owns two F1 teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, and since 2026 both use engines from Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
Who founded Red Bull?
Dietrich Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984, based on the Thai drink Krating Daeng. The Austrian version launched in 1987.
How many cans of Red Bull are sold?
In 2025 Red Bull sold roughly 13.97 billion cans and reported a record revenue of about €12.2 billion.
What are the Flying Bulls?
The Flying Bulls are Red Bull’s private fleet of historic and aerobatic aircraft, based at Hangar-7 in Salzburg, Austria, including a B-25J, P-38L, F4U Corsair and DC-6B.
Does Red Bull still run the Air Race?
No. Red Bull ended its Air Race after 2019. A new promoter relaunched the sport in 2022 as the World Championship Air Race.
Is the Red Bull hypercar real?
Yes. The Aston Martin Valkyrie, co-developed with Red Bull Racing, was produced from 2021 to 2024, and Red Bull’s own RB17 is limited to 50 cars with production scheduled for 2026.
How we put this list together
We chose the 15 vehicle-based ventures that best show how Red Bull markets on land, water and air, and checked each against current team, fleet and company records as of October 2026. Items are ordered from grassroots sport to the flagship projects.
Last updated: October 2026.
