Like a jump from the stratosphere Felix Baumgartner gave his shot in motorsport

Extreme Sport -ikon Felix Baumgartner died after a paragliding accident on Thursday in the coastal town of Porto Sant'elpidio on the Adriatic coast of Italy.

The Austrian adventurer lost control of his glider and fell into a hotel swimming pool and injured a hotel employee. Red Bull, his long -time partner and sponsor, confirmed the news to the Austrian broadcaster ORF.

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Baumgartner rose in October 2012 with his record -breaking parachute jump from the edge of space to global fame. At the Red Bull Stratos project, Baumgartner in New Mexico, USA, was a printing capsule, which was then lifted from a helium balloon to an altitude of 38,969 meters.

When the Austrian on the edge of space returns to earth at a speed of up to 1,358 km/h before opening his parachute and fruits safely. The stunt, which allegedly costs around 25 million euros, is said to have generated more than 1 billion euros in advertising for the Red Bull brand.

However, what many do not know is that Baumgartner ventured briefly into the world of motorsport after jumping.

Felix Baumgartner is preparing to jump over 128,000 feet

His first public entry into racing came in June 2013 when he drove as a passenger in a Red Bull Formula 1 car in Le Castellet, with David Coulthard on the bike and Sebastian Vettel being the other passenger. According to Baumgartner, experience has reported to drive for himself.

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“I always had a childhood dream: to become a racing driver,” he said during an interview with ServusTV from 2014.

“For a long time it seemed that this dream would never come true. I come from a very conservative family, my father was a carpenter, my mother a housewife. She grew up on a farm with 13 siblings, so that there was no money or an understanding of motorsport.

“That's why I started jumping down, it was affordable. And now it seems as if my jump from the stratosphere had become a ticket into the world of the race.”

Motorsport arrives

In October 2013, just a year after his legendary jump, Baumgartner took part in the VW Scirocco Cup in Hockenheim. He was also ready to take part in the champions in Bangkok this December, but the event was canceled due to political unrest in Thailand.

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#16 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS Ultra: Felix Baumgartner, Christopher Haase, Stéphane Ortelli

Until 2014, Baumgartner said Ernst with the race. He was invited by Audi to take part in the Nurburgring for 24 hours and to involve a R8 LMS Ultra in addition to the racing veterans Frank Biela, Pierre Kaffer and Marco Werner. The team became ninth of more than 100 entries.

After the news from Baumgartner's death, Kaffer informed a tribute on social media: “My friend, you were one of the craziest and funniest boys I've ever met! It was a great time to take the Nordschleife with you. Heaven.

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Baumgartner described his breed in the Nordschleife as “one of the greatest projects in my life”. In order to prepare for the Mammoth race, he trained with Austrian instructor Sepp Haider and took part in several rounds of the VLN endurance series.

In an interview with Auto motor and sports In June 2014 he said: “Between the third and the fourth VLN race, I didn't drive at all-I just saw videos. I improved by 20 seconds. That is a lot. I studied my teammates Pierre Kaffer line. He often lets the car roll.

“I'm a professional helicopter pilot. In the beginning, you also think: 'How will I ever fly this thing alone?' You need good people and a solid basis for skills.

Felix Baumgartner after his last stint

“If you listen closely, you can learn something. That was also true with Red Bull Stratos.

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“I don't know where this trip will lead. But I'm definitely ready to go on.”

A global phenomenon

Baumgartner often spoke about international motorsport, including the return of the Austrian Grand Prix in 2014 under the leadership of the late Red Bull founder Dietrich Maateschitz.

“First of all, it is fantastic that Mr. Maateschitz managed to bring a Grand Prix back to Austria,” he said in an interview with Deutscher Zeitung Quaddle. “Nevertheless, I don't think the race will attract the same attention as my jump. For a simple reason: Motorsport appeals a very specific audience while my event was a global phenomenon.

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“Later a sheikh from Kuwait told me that he and his whole family had seen the leap on TV. There are still few things in the world that really captivate people. They long for heroes – and heroic deeds.

#502 Audi Race Experience Audi R8 LMS Ultra: Felix Baumgartner, Marco Werner, Frank Biela, Pierre Kaffer

“What is a hero? A person who does something extraordinary. This can be a firefighter or a paramedic. According to this definition, I would not call Formula -1 driver heroes. They are professionals who have their cars in full control and practice their craft with great discipline.”

Baumgartner was 56 years old. He is survived by his partner Mihaela Radulescu, a Romanian television, actress and author. The two have been together since 2014.

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