Who really owns your favorite F1 Teams in 2026?

F1 cars parked together with front wings in focous.

When Formula One (F1) began in 1950, team ownership was relatively straightforward. Most entrants were either major car manufacturers or independent racing enthusiasts building and running their own cars.

 

As the sport evolved into a global commercial powerhouse, the business of owning an F1 team changed dramatically. Rising costs, increasing sponsorship revenues, and the growing value of franchises attracted investors from far beyond the automotive world. Today, Formula One teams are owned by a diverse mix of stakeholders, including car manufacturers, billionaires, investment firms, celebrities, and even sovereign wealth funds.

 

1950's Mercedes F1 car
                    F1 cars  in the early years.

 

Modern ownership structures are often far more complicated than they appear. Some teams are fully controlled by a single company, while others operate through partnerships involving multiple investors. In several cases, the automotive brand on the car owns only a minority stake or no stake at all, with the team merely licensing its name and identity.

 

In this article, we break down the ownership structure of every Formula One team on the 2026 grid. While some teams have clear and straightforward ownership models, others involve a complex network of shareholders and investors. We aim to simplify these arrangements and explain who really owns and controls each team.

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Red Bull and Racing Bulls F1 2026 Ownership 

 

Red Bull Corporation is a private company, and ownership is split between the Thai  Yoovidhya family (51%) and Austrian businessman Mark Mateschitz, who inherited a 49% stake after founder Dietrich Mateschitz’s death in 2022.  Red Bull is basically split between the Thai family and the Austrian Maeschitz. 

 

Both Oracle Red Bull Racing and sister team  Visa Cash App Racing Bulls are directly under privately owned Red Bull GmbH. It is a global company that owns businesses such as the Red Bull F1 teams, the energy drink company, and sports teams, including football clubs. 

 

Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with Red Bull co-owner Chalerm Yoovidhya
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with Red Bull co-owner Chalerm Yoovidhya.

In February 2021, Red Bull launched the Red Bull Power Trains program, with Ford’s consultation, as the team decided to end the powertrain partnership with Honda and provide both teams with Red Bull powertrains for 2026 and beyond.   

 

Red Bull Technologies also falls under this umbrella, which handles chassis development, engineering, research and development, and technical design support for both F1 teams.

Ferrari F1 2026 Ownership 

Scuderia Ferrari is the motorsport division of the broader Ferrari corporation, which is publicly listed through Ferrari N.V. Unlike Red Bull, Ferrari has a diverse ownership structure consisting of major controlling shareholders, institutional investors, public shareholders, legacy family interests, and retail investors.

The F1 team itself falls within Ferrari’s corporate structure and is operated through its motorsport division, Scuderia Ferrari.                

Mercedes F1 2026 Ownership

 

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team is not fully owned by Mercedes-Benz, the road car company. Instead, it has a unique three-way ownership structure. The team’s ownership is equally split between Mercedes-Benz AG, Toto Wolff’s Motorsport Invest Limited (MIL), and INEOS, with each shareholder owning 33.3%.

 

The current ownership structure was finalized in 2020 when INEOS purchased its stake. INEOS is a large British chemicals and energy company mainly controlled by Jim Ratcliffe and other shareholders. This gives Ratcliffe significant influence over the Mercedes F1 team.

 

With three equal shareholders, questions naturally arise about how the system works, who has authority over different matters, and how major decisions are made. The sections below explain these responsibilities.

 

Mercedes-Benz AG provides the Mercedes branding, factory support, engineering integration, and power unit identity. Toto Wolff is both a major equity owner and the team principal, giving him greater influence over the team’s day-to-day operations than a typical team principal.

 

INEOS initially joined the team as a sponsor before becoming a shareholder. The company now has significant commercial and operational involvement.

 

In November 2025, Toto Wolff sold 15% of the shares in Motorsport Invest Limited to American billionaire George Kurtz in a deal valuing the holding company at approximately $6 billion (£4.6 billion). Kurtz is not a direct shareholder in the Mercedes F1 team but is instead a shareholder in Wolff’s holding company.

 Mercedes team principal and Co-Owner Toto Wolff with George Kurtz
Mercedes team principal and Co-Owner Toto Wolff with George Kurtz.

The power unit division operates under Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), an engine company based in Brixworth, United Kingdom. It is important to note that HPP falls under Mercedes-Benz AG rather than the F1 team itself. The power units developed by HPP are supplied to Mercedes and its customer teams.

McLaren F1 2026 Ownership

One of the most interesting aspects of McLaren’s modern ownership structure is that McLaren Automotive, the road car company, has no ownership stake in the Formula One team despite sharing the McLaren name and branding.

 

The team is controlled by Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and investment groups through the McLaren Racing structure.

 

Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, is the majority shareholder. It has financially backed the team since 2007 before acquiring a majority stake in 2024.

 

CYVN Holdings is an Abu Dhabi-based investment company focused on mobility, electric vehicle technology, and advanced engineering, and holds a minority stake. The Formula One team is operated through McLaren Racing Limited.

Williams F1 2026 Ownership 

 

The Williams F1 team was founded by Frank Williams and automotive engineer Sir Patrick Head in 1977. The team has undergone multiple ownership and structural changes since then. In March 2013, Frank Williams’ daughter, Claire Williams, took over leadership of the team.

Frank Williams (left) and Sir Patrick Head (right), founders of the Williams F1 team
Frank Williams (left) and Sir Patrick Head (right), founders of the Williams F1 team.

In 2020, the team faced a financial crisis after a major sponsor withdrew and the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant commercial disruption. As a result, the team was sold to the American investment firm Dorilton Capital.

 

Dorilton Capital is a private investment firm, meaning its investor structure is not publicly disclosed, and its financial backers remain relatively opaque. Williams Racing is the company that operates the Formula One team.

Aston Martin F1 2026 Ownership 

 

Just like most teams discussed above, the Aramco Aston Martin F1 team is not fully owned by the road car company Aston Martin Lagonda. The F1 team is operated by AMR GP, which is owned by the Yew Tree consortium led by the Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. 

The road car company has a minority stake and provides a strategic partnership. In the year 2018, Stroll’s consortium originally bought the struggling Force India team and renamed it Racing Point, and the team was again rebranded in 2021 to Aston Martin F1 Team. 

 

It is also noteworthy that Stroll also major shareholder in Aston Martin Lagonda. The same power center heavily influences both the F1 team and the car company. 

 

Alpine F1 2026 Ownership 

The BWT Alpine F1 team is owned by the French automotive giant Renault. The F1 team is part of Renault’s motorsport division. In 2023, Renault sold a minority stake to an Otro Capital-led group of outside investors. 

 

Renault remains the majority and controlling owner with 76%, while the Otro group has a 24% stake. Other partners in the Otro group that led the consortium include Red Bird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments. Maximum Effort Investments is led by the Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. 

 

All of the major decisions are made by the Renault group. 

Audi F1 2026 Ownership 

In 2024, Audi AG, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, acquired Sauber as part of its Formula One project, and in 2026 the team was rebranded as the Audi F1 Team. This transformed the Swiss-based outfit into Audi’s official works team.

 

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, acquired a significant minority stake in the Audi F1 project in 2024. This investment is being used to accelerate infrastructure development and personnel expansion.

 Audi’s 2026 F1 car (R26) is on track
Audi’s 2026 F1 car (R26) is on track. 

Audi AG holds 70% of the shares, while QIA owns the remaining 30%. Audi remains the controlling force behind the Formula One project, engine program, and long-term strategy.

 

Audi is also developing its Formula One power unit through Audi Formula Racing GmbH, its dedicated powertrain company based in Germany.

Haas F1 2026 Ownership 

An American businessman privately owns the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team through his company, Haas Auto Motives. There are no publicly known major outside equity investors in the F1 team.

 

Cadillac F1 2026 Ownership 

The Cadillac Formula One Team is operated by TWG Motorsports and backed by General Motors through the Cadillac brand. TWG Motorsports oversees the team’s operations, while General Motors provides factory backing through Cadillac.

 

Structurally, the team is best described as a TWG-operated Formula One team with factory support from Cadillac and General Motors.

 

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