As Formula One heads into a decisive title showdown in Abu Dhabi, the sport’s deepening ties with the Middle East are becoming increasingly visible — including a newly uncovered link to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Corporate filings show that the PIF quietly owns about 8% of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team through its parent company, AMR GP Holdings Ltd., a stake that was never publicly announced. The investment adds to a pattern of growing sovereign wealth involvement in the paddock, even as team owner Lawrence Stroll has previously sold portions of the business to private equity groups like Arctos Partners. Both Aston Martin and the PIF declined to comment.
The PIF already holds a separate minority position in Aston Martin Lagonda, the UK-listed luxury carmaker chaired by Stroll, and the F1 team’s long-standing sponsorship deal with Saudi Aramco further underscores its ties to the kingdom. Other teams in the sport are similarly linked to regional sovereign wealth funds: McLaren is now fully controlled by Bahrain’s Mumtalakat and Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings, while Qatar’s investment authority has taken a significant minority stake in Sauber ahead of its rebrand to Audi.
These developments reflect a dramatic shift since Bahrain hosted the region’s first race in 2004. With four races now held across the Gulf and rising U.S. attention driven by Netflix and high-profile events in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, competition for influence in F1 has intensified. Investors see the sport as a rare prestige asset, with limited supply and global visibility, and valuations have surged as a result. Recent deals — including McLaren minority investors realizing a sixfold return and a stake sale valuing Mercedes at $6 billion — highlight the financial momentum.
For the Gulf, F1 participation also aligns with broader economic strategies. Saudi Arabia is using sport to diversify its economy, building a portfolio that spans LIV Golf, Newcastle United, domestic football clubs, and the Professional Fighters League, alongside hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The kingdom is also developing an ambitious F1 venue and entertainment hub at Qiddiya, planned to replace Jeddah’s coastal circuit by 2027. While top teams remain profitable, others such as Aston Martin continue to face losses, but rising valuations and spending caps are attracting sovereign wealth funds as key players in a market increasingly accessible only to the largest pools of capital.
Source: Bloomberg
