McLaren, synonymous with British racing heritage in F1, may soon be fully owned by Bahrain. Rumors circulating this week suggest a major change in the ownership structure of McLaren Group, the Woking-based company currently headed by American Zac Brown.
Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat already owns a majority stake in McLaren and is reportedly ready to take over full ownership. The development coincides with Mumtalakat’s recent moves, and there is growing belief among insiders that Bahrain will soon acquire all remaining shares from McLaren’s minority shareholders.
In a pivotal move, McLaren shareholders approved a comprehensive financial restructuring plan. “McLaren shareholders have unanimously approved the full recapitalization of the group,” Mamtarakat confirmed in an official statement. The recapitalization is seen as a clear indicator of imminent full ownership by Bahrain.
The team, originally founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren, has long been hailed as the oldest active British team in F1, so the potential move to full Bahraini ownership is a nod to McLaren’s storied history. This is an important chapter.
The economic scale of the deal is underlined by Forbes magazine, which estimates the value of McLaren’s F1 team in 2023 at a staggering $2.2 billion.