Mercedes F1 Team Revenue to Hit Record $1B as Antonelli Nears Title

Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of clinching the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, needing only a ninth-place finish in Mexico City on Sunday. It would mark Mercedes’ 10th title and the first since 2020, when Lewis Hamilton won his seventh straight drivers’ crown for the German brand.

Mercedes is also scoring off the track this year, with annual revenue expected to top £750 million ($1 billion based on current exchange rates), according to someone familiar with F1 team finances. A Mercedes F1 spokesperson declined to comment.

The three-comma club is an exclusive one in team sports. The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Dodgers are the only North American sports franchises to generate $1 billion in annual revenue. LaLiga soccer giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have also hit the mark, while Manchester United is projected to top $1 billion during the 2026-27 EPL season.

Mercedes has dominated the 2026 F1 season under the sport’s new regulations that altered the cars and power units. George Russell and the 20-year-old Antonelli have combined for 12 wins over the first 18 races of the season. This year’s financial results won’t reflect the payout from F1 for the team’s almost certain Constructors Championship. The team prize money has a one-year lag—Mercedes finished second in 2025 behind McLaren.

Last year, Mercedes F1 revenue was £633 million ($849 million), which was basically flat from the prior campaign. Mercedes’ sponsorship revenue gains were offset by lower payouts from the team’s fourth-place finish in the 2024 constructor standings.

Mercedes’ commercial and licensing revenue was £415 million ($556 million). In its financial report, Mercedes said its TV Advertising Value Equivalent for commercial partners in 2025 was $5.66 billion for its 24 global brands, which included several new additions last year in Adidas, Meta AI and Nasdaq.

The commercial business has continued to boom in 2026, with new brands Microsoft, Nu, Vercel, RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) and Zuma partnering with Mercedes. Last month, Mercedes and Stripe signed a multiyear deal for the payments company’s first-ever sports sponsorship. Mercedes has about 25 sponsors overall, led by title partner Petronas.

The 2025 financial results for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix showed an operating profit of £167 million ($223 million based on current exchange rates), topping the previous F1 record of £156 million set by Mercedes in 2024. It will post another profit record and is on track to exceed £200 million ($268 million).

Last year, George Kurtz, CEO and founder of cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, became a co-owner of the Mercedes team through a minority acquisition in Toto Wolff’s ownership entity Motorsports Invest. Kurtz will indirectly own 5% of the team, which he bought at a $6 billion valuation. CrowdStrike is currently a team sponsor.

Source: www.sportico.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.