Mark Mateschitz, son of Red Bull’s late founder Dietrich Mateschitz, will tackle the legendary Dakar Rally in early January under an assumed identity. The Red Bull heir has registered for the gruelling off-road endurance event using the pseudonym Mark Mustermann, according to Austrian media reports. While the decision to race under an alias may raise eyebrows, Mateschitz is not alone among prominent Austrians choosing discretion for their desert adventure. Victoria Swarovski, heiress to the renowned crystal glass empire, will compete alongside him under the racing name Vic Flip, piloting a Can-Am Maverick R through the punishing Saudi Arabian terrain.
Austrian aristocracy embraces rally-raid challenge
The use of pseudonyms in motorsport is hardly unprecedented, yet it carries particular intrigue when the individuals involved control substantial business empires. Mateschitz, who inherited majority ownership of the energy drinks giant and its racing operations following his father’s death in 2022, has maintained a notably lower public profile than many team proprietors. His decision to enter the Dakar Rally represents a significant personal sporting endeavour, one that demands respect given the event’s notorious difficulty and danger.
Swarovski, who shares a personal relationship with Mateschitz, announced her participation in the rally-raid championship several weeks ago. Her choice of the lightweight Can-Am prototype suggests an approach focused on navigating the technical stages rather than outright pace in the heavier trophy truck categories. The crystal heiress brings her own business credentials to the challenge, balancing commercial responsibilities with her motorsport ambitions.
Experienced crew tackles desert odyssey
Despite the apparent novelty of their Dakar debut, neither Mateschitz nor his co-driver Michael Zajc are strangers to rally-raid competition. The pair accumulated valuable experience throughout the current season, contesting multiple Baja rally events and participating in select rounds of the World Rally-Raid Championship. These shorter-format competitions provided crucial preparation for the marathon test that awaits in Saudi Arabia, where navigation errors and mechanical attrition claim far more victims than outright speed.
The Dakar Rally entry list features an impressive roster of established champions and experienced desert specialists. Nasser Al-Attiyah, the five-time Dakar winner, returns to defend his hard-earned reputation as one of rally-raid’s most complete competitors. Carlos Sainz senior, father of the Williams Formula 1 driver, brings his own formidable Dakar pedigree to the Saudi dunes. Former World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb rounds out a field that combines pure speed with the navigational precision and mechanical sympathy essential for surviving nearly two weeks of relentless competition.
Pseudonyms and privacy in high-profile motorsport
The practice of competing under assumed names is not without precedent in the paddock. Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 World Champion and Red Bull’s leading driver, made headlines when he tested at the Nürburgring Nordschleife under the alias Franz Hermann. The Dutch driver’s choice allowed him to evaluate the fearsome German circuit without the inevitable media circus that follows his every public appearance. The pseudonym has since developed its own folklore among fans and observers of the Verstappen testing programme.
For Mateschitz, the decision to race as Mark Mustermann—a name that translates roughly as “Mark Everyman” in German—may serve practical purposes beyond mere privacy. Rally-raid events demand total concentration from both driver and navigator, and the absence of constant scrutiny can prove invaluable when split-second decisions determine survival on treacherous stages.
What this means going forward
The Dakar Rally will commence on 3 January from the coastal city of Yanbu, launching competitors into one of motorsport’s most demanding examinations. For Mateschitz and Zajc, success will be measured not simply in stage victories but in reaching the finish line intact. The attrition rate at Dakar remains brutally high, with mechanical failures, navigation errors, and the unforgiving terrain eliminating even experienced crews.
Their participation adds another dimension to Red Bull’s already extensive motorsport portfolio, though this venture remains firmly in the personal realm rather than an official team entry. As the Red Bull Racing organisation prepares for the 2025 Formula 1 season with Verstappen and new signing Liam Lawson, the family’s motorsport passion extends across disciplines and continents. Whether racing under his own name or an alias, Mateschitz faces the same desert that has humbled champions and amateurs alike since the rally’s inception.
