Former Liberty boss says F1 could be sold within two years

Former Liberty Media chief executive Greg Maffei has suggested Formula 1 could be taken private within the next two years, in a deal that could value the series at around $30 billion. Liberty Media bought F1 from CVC Capital in January 2017 for around $4.6 billion, and the series has grown significantly under its ownership, including through Drive To Survive and expansion in the United States and the Middle East.

Speaking at Sportico's Invest New York 2026 conference, Maffei said the easy money had already been made, noting that EBITDA had tripled over eight or nine years and was unlikely to do so again. Any change of ownership would need approval from the FIA, which owns the series' intellectual property rights. F1 has not publicly commented on his remarks.

The war in Iran affected F1's revenue in 2026, with cancelled April races leading to a 38% drop, but Liberty reported that earnings to the third quarter were only $2m lower than the same period in 2025.