Maffei says Formula 1 likely to be sold within two years

Former Liberty Media president and CEO Greg Maffei has predicted that Formula 1 could be sold and taken private within the next two years. Speaking at Sportico's Invest New York 2026 conference, he said he would bet on F1 no longer being publicly traded, pointing to the business's rapid growth since Liberty acquired it in 2017 for around $8 billion.

Maffei believes the sharpest rise in earnings is now behind the sport, saying EBITDA is unlikely to triple again over the next eight or nine years. The prediction follows John Malone's recent surrender of most of his voting power at Liberty, which Maffei said leaves directors with a legal duty to consider any serious offer in shareholders' interests. Any buyer would potentially need around $30 billion, with sovereign wealth funds or private equity groups among possible bidders.