Mumtalakat, the Bahraini sovereign wealth fund, and Abu Dhabi-based investment group CYVN Holdings have acquired full ownership of McLaren Racing, including its Formula 1 team, following confirmation of a deal to purchase minority stakes previously held by private equity firm MSP Sports Capital and other investors.
The Middle East groups already held controlling shares of more than 60% in the British motor racing business and have now acquired the 30% stake owned by MSP Sports Capital, funds managed by O’Connor Capital Solutions, Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment funds, and Caspian Funds.
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Mumtalakat will continue as the majority shareholder with CYVN Holdings owning a non-controlling stake.
The agreement values McLaren Racing at $5 billion, demonstrating the resurgence of its motorsport operations under chief executive Zak Brown.
Jahm Najafi, partner and chairman of MSP Sports Capital, said: “Formula 1 has transformed into a global media and entertainment platform thanks in no small part to the vision of savvy team owners like McLaren Group Limited, who have demonstrated time and again, year after year, the ability to drive innovation, performance, and results in a sport we believe has no equal in terms of its long-term economic potential.
“We are honored to have been able to work with Mumtalakat and the McLaren team, and we look forward to staying involved in this incredible sport as active supporters.”
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By GlobalDataAs part of the transaction, Najafi and MSP Sports Capital CEO Jeff Moorad will vacate their seats on the McLaren Racing board.
MSP Sports Capital headed up a deal announced in 2020 to buy an initial 15% stake in McLaren Racing, which gave the business a valuation of £560 million ($750.9 million).
That deal provided much-needed funds to the wider McLaren Group, whose automotive division’s finances were placed in a precarious state by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The $5 billion valuation now reflects the stronger financial position of the broader McLaren Group, as well as the strong performance of the McLaren Racing business, both on and off the track.
Over the last five years, McLaren has returned to the front of the Formula 1 grid. Oscar Piastri, who won last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, currently leads the F1 drivers’ standings, with his teammate Lando Norris in second place.
McLaren is also on course to win the F1 constructors' championship for a second consecutive year with a huge lead over Ferrari in second.
Paul Walsh, McLaren Group executive chairman, said: “Our suite of minority investors came on board in 2020 and we thank them for their tremendous support over the past few years as we set McLaren Racing on a path to commercial growth and financial stability.”
Walsh added that the simplified ownership structure “strengthens our ability to future-proof the business and capture new growth opportunities.”
CYVN created McLaren Group Holdings last April after completing its acquisition of sports car maker McLaren Automotive.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund (PIF) sold its stake in McLaren Group to Mumtalakat.
PIF, one of the most prominent sports investors, and global investment firm Ares Management acquired the preference shares in McLaren worth £400 million in July 2021.
McLaren Racing runs teams in Formula 1, US-based IndyCar, and will enter the World Endurance Championship from 2027.
Founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren, the company owns one of the most famous names in British motorsport. It has won more than 200 Grands Prix, three Indianapolis 500s, and the Le Mans 24 Hours on its debut.
Meanwhile, McLaren Racing has unveiled cybersecurity firm Trend Micro as an official partner of its F1 team for the remainder of the 2025 season and beyond.
Through the deal, Trend will “engage customers and partners through a series of unique, high-touch moments throughout the Formula 1 season.”
The company will support McLaren Racing in safeguarding operational systems and sensitive data, and ensuring operations remain secure.
Trend has had a relationship with McLaren Racing since 2023, previously being an official partner of its Formula E team.
