McLaren Racing set for record revenue as Zak Brown touts F1’s growth
McLaren Racing is projected to become the first Formula 1 team to exceed $1 billion in annual revenue, according to a Sky News report, as the Woking-based organisation prepares to file its 2025 accounts.
The filings are expected to show revenue of £588 million ($779.6 million) for the calendar year. That total includes McLaren’s IndyCar operation, although Formula 1 generated more than 90% of the income, underlining the scale of the team’s reliance on F1’s commercial business.
Brown payout linked to share buyout
The accounts are also expected to record a payout of more than £75.4 million ($100 million) for chief executive Zak Brown. That would compare with a £6 million base salary and a £31 million long-term incentive plan in 2024.
The reported figure is tied to a share award triggered by the corporate buyout in which Bahrain’s Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund and Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings acquired the remaining 30% of external shares in McLaren Racing, at a valuation of £3.5 billion.
Brown discussed the sport’s expansion following the stake sale in a 2025 interview with Bloomberg. “The sport is on fire, you know, every metric, demand for teams,” he said, pointing to the impact of the cost cap on financial stability and on-track competitiveness. He also cited rising fan interest and demand from sponsors and partners.
His assessment echoes wider discussion of F1’s commercial momentum, including Flavio Briatore’s view that Formula 1 has become ‘the place to be’.
‘A lot of room for growth’
Asked whether team valuations had reached their peak, Brown said he did not think so. He argued that sports valuations have continued to rise despite repeated claims that individual deals mark an extreme, and said F1 still had substantial growth potential.
Brown pointed to the gap between 24 races and demand for what he estimated could be 30 Grands Prix. He also cited the strength of the sport’s commercial partners and the closeness of the on-track competition. In his account, four teams won races last year, while seven drivers won multiple times.
He described that competitive spread as unprecedented in his 30 years of following the sport, while also identifying Netflix-captured off-track drama and strong Grand Prix demand as contributors to F1’s appeal. “I think the sport, in many ways, is just getting going,” Brown said.
The expected accounts offer a financial snapshot of McLaren’s growth, while Brown’s comments frame the larger opportunity he sees for Formula 1—and for the value of its teams.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.