Red Bull Racing Partners with Carlyle as Exclusive Investment Management Firm

Oracle Red Bull Racing has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with global investment firm Carlyle, marking the first time an F1 team has partnered with a major global private markets firm.

Why it matters:

This groundbreaking deal highlights Formula One's growing appeal to major financial players, further diversifying the sport's commercial landscape. For Carlyle, it offers a unique platform to engage prospective clients and leverage F1's global reach and hospitality offerings.

The details:

• Carlyle will serve as Red Bull Racing's exclusive investment management partner.
• The partnership reflects the substantial commercial growth F1 has experienced under Liberty Media.
• Unlike previous private equity investments into teams (e.g., Aston Martin with Arctos Partners, Alpine with RedBird Capital Partners), Carlyle's involvement is a sponsorship deal, aiming to utilize F1 as a client engagement platform.
• Carlyle, managing US$465 billion in assets, sees clear alignment between its focus on high performance and F1's demands for precision and innovation.
• Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing's Team Principal, emphasized shared values of world-class talent and high-level performance.
• Carlyle CEO Harvey Schwartz noted the industry's transformation and F1's expanding global audience.

What's next:

Carlyle branding will debut on Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull cars during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku (September 19-21). The firm's logo will also be featured on driver team kit, the pit wall, and the garage.