Liberty Media to sell F1? Here's when it could happen

Liberty Media could look to sell Formula 1 next year, according to a report by The Times.

The American company took over from Delta Topco, owned by a number of investment companies, when it acquired the Formula 1 Group in 2017 - bringing an end to Bernie Ecclestone's 40 years as the championship's supremo.

F1 has gone from strength to strength under Liberty's direction, with interest in potential races up, the calendar bustling at 24 races and a diversified fanbase compared to a decade ago - largely down to the help of Netflix's hit documentary series Drive to Survive.

The mammoth battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton came at a time when the world was emerging from the Covid pandemic, and despite the heights of that tussle not being matched in the years since, record crowds continue to attend races.

But with all investments, as performances are maximised and reach a peak Liberty may look to sell before F1 loses its value. But in a report by The Times, that could be more likely to come next year rather than this.

Previous sale opportunity

Liberty Media has already fended off one acquisition attempt from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund [PIF], which has already expanded its sports portfolio - most notably the controversial LIV Golf series that fractured the golfing world.

That bid in 2023 was valued at a reported $20billion, some $15.6billion more than Liberty had acquired F1 for six years previous. Then chief executive Greg Maffei dismissed the bid as mere speculation, though hinted that the valuation was well short of any desired fee.