Mumtalakat and Cyvn buy out minority investors, valuing McLaren Racing at over £3bn

McLaren’s Formula One arm is set to be valued at more than £3bn as its Gulf backers move to take full control of the storied racing team.

Sky News has learned that Mumtalakat, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, and Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holdings are poised to acquire the 30% stake in McLaren Racing currently held by MSP Sports Capital, Ares Investment Management, UBS O’Connor and a handful of smaller shareholders.

The deal, expected to be confirmed within days, will hand the two investors complete ownership of McLaren Racing, underlining the remarkable turnaround of the team’s fortunes since the pandemic.

MSP Sports Capital first took a 15% holding in McLaren Racing in 2020, valuing the business at just £560m at the time. That investment came at a critical moment, providing lifeline funding after the pandemic devastated McLaren Group’s automotive division. The company was forced to restructure, sell off its Applied Technologies arm, and even part with its futuristic Surrey headquarters in a sale-and-leaseback.

Now, five years later, the valuation has soared to more than £3bn, reflecting not only the stabilisation of the wider group but also McLaren Racing’s resurgence under chief executive Zak Brown. The F1 team is currently dominating the 2025 season, with Oscar Piastri fresh from victory at the Dutch Grand Prix and team-mate Lando Norris chasing him in the drivers’ standings. McLaren also appears on course to secure the constructors’ championship.

“This valuation is a clear sign of the confidence investors have in McLaren’s trajectory,” one industry source said. “The growth of Formula One as an investment class has also been key.”

The buyout mirrors growing global interest in F1 teams as trophy assets. Earlier this year, Aston Martin announced plans to sell its stake in its Grand Prix operation at a valuation of £2.4bn. Investors have also speculated on possible changes at Mercedes, where chemicals giant Ineos holds a major share, and Red Bull, which has been rocked by leadership upheaval.

For MSP and other minority holders who bought in during 2021, the deal represents a windfall return. Insiders suggest the sale will bank hundreds of millions of pounds in profit for those investors who backed McLaren during its darkest days.

Mumtalakat, which already holds a controlling stake, will remain the dominant shareholder once the deal is complete, with CYVN continuing to play a significant strategic role. The simplified ownership structure is expected to strengthen governance and could pave the way for longer-term moves, including a possible stock market listing.

Talk of a McLaren IPO has circulated for years, though analysts suggest it remains at least several years away. Supply chain hurdles and the Group’s reliance on private capital injections have delayed such ambitions, even as its racing business thrives.

Founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren, the team has become one of the most iconic names in motorsport. Over its history, McLaren has won multiple constructors’ titles, produced champions such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Mika Häkkinen and Lewis Hamilton, and achieved victories in marquee events including the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours.

The latest valuation highlights the scale of McLaren’s revival since the era of crisis restructuring and leadership disputes that followed Ron Dennis’s departure in 2017. With a new generation of drivers delivering on track and investors signalling their faith with billions, McLaren is once again firmly established at the sharp end of Formula One — both in sporting achievement and corporate value.