Tech billionaires ‘eye F1’ as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk reach Miami Grand Prix
BILLIONAIRES Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk soaked up some action behind the scenes at the Miami GP – and both could be eyeing a future involvement in the sport.
Musk spent some time chatting with Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner before disappearing into the plush VIP suites at Hard Rock Stadium.
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And Amazon CEO Bezos beamed as he strolled through the South Florida paddock and spoke to McLaren engineers in a rare appearance for him and Musk in F1.
While F1 insiders have told The US Sun that a move to buy out current owners, America-based Liberty Media, is unlikely, there is a strong possibility both are keen to get involved with the sport at a boom time.
Its popularity is skyrocketing, thanks in part to the Netflix series Drive to Survive, and with Apple CEO Tim Cook competing in last season’s race in Austin, some big financial players are weighing possible moves.
Apple’s interest will only grow if they help develop and produce an upcoming F1 film starring Brad Pitt.
Bezos and Musk could afford to eclipse the $4.4 billion Liberty paid to own F1 – current estimates suggest it’s now worth at least twice that.
The current deal expires in 2025 and insiders claim there is a push to tie everyone in F1 – teams and the governing body – which could indicate Liberty is poised to sell if the price is right.
In early 2023, a mega-money offer of $20 billion from Saudi Arabia was reported — and subsequently rejected — but there’s no denying the likes of Musk and Bezos are showing serious interest.
“We’ve seen Tim Cook, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos look around F1 at the last two US races,” said Mark Turner, CEO of Seamless Digital, a F1 technology company that already works with McLaren and Google working together. said the US Sun.
“It’s further proof that America is really focused on all things esports right now.”
Tweeting about his meeting with Horner, Musk was pictured in an intense discussion with the race director and posed with reigning champion Max Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez.
“Fun discussion about aero & battery technology in F1,” wrote the Tesla boss.
“I have proposed pure EV (electric vehicle) vs. gas/hybrid F1 racing.”
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