- Minority investment from Arctos last year valued team at UK£1bn
- Stroll originally bought the Force India outfit for UK£90m in 2018
Aston Martin’s billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll is in early talks to sell a minority stake in the Formula One team, according to Bloomberg.
The 64-year-old is reportedly willing to sell as much as 25 per cent of his stake in the team, although any discussions are at an exploratory stage.
In November last year, a minority investment in the Silverstone-based team by Arctos Partners valued Aston Martin at UK£1 billion (US$1.3 billion). Stroll has seen a significant return on investment since purchasing the former Force India outfit for UK£90 million (US$113 million) in 2018.
The hope is that further investment will see this previous valuation improved upon at a time when Formula One has never been more popular.
- Aston Martin F1 looking to ‘compete with best teams’ after Arctos investment
- Aston Martin F1 downgrade Cognizant partnership
‘From time to time and more recently following the Arctos Partners investment, the team is contacted by interested parties,’ an Aston Martin spokesperson said in a statement to Bloomberg, adding that any talks are confidential and there is nothing yet to announce.
While interested parties explore investment opportunities in the Formula One team, the automotive brand – which Stroll also has a stake in – is struggling.
The Canadian billionaire has had to repeatedly raise capital for the company, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) now owning 20.5 per cent of the iconic car brand.
BlackBook says…
It makes sense for Stroll to capitalise on the growing interest in Formula One, but this isn’t a sign of a loss of interest in the team.
With an engine partnership commencing with Honda in 2026 – and rumours that legendary designer Adrian Newey is being courted – the team is laying the foundations for a bright future.
Where this further investment will come from remains to be seen, but the existing relationship with PIF could provide a very easy path to additional capital. After all, state-owned Aramco is the team’s title sponsor until 2028.
