McLaren set to hit major $1 billion F1 financial landmark

McLaren Racing, the current Formula 1 constructors’ champion, is set to become the first team to register an annual revenue of $1 billion.

The Woking-based outfit has enjoyed a period of steep growth in recent years, off the back of its first constructors’ championship title since the 1990s in 2024.

McLaren then went on to win its first drivers’ world title last year for the first time since 2008 with Lando Norris, who fended off Max Verstappen by two points.

According to a report from Sky News, McLaren Racing is now on course to reach a stunning financial milestone as the first F1 constructor to generate $1 billion in revenue.

The report from Sky says McLaren Racing Ltd’s accounts will show revenues of £588m ($779.6m), which cover the calendar year for 2025.

McLaren team boss Zak Brown was also paid $100m last year, which was triggered by a buyout of the outfit’s minority owners.

Brown took over the running of McLaren in 2017, as the team navigated its way through a bleak period.

In previous years, McLaren had gone from consistent race winner and title contender to slipping to the back of the grid upon a switch to Honda engines for 2015.

As it struggled for form, it also began to lose commercial partners.

But the steady rebuild of the team under Brown’s leadership has seen a stark reversal in fortunes.

On the commercial front, McLaren now enjoys major deals with the likes of Mastercard, Google DP World and Allwyn.

It has also been able to snare reigning champion Norris to a long-term driver deal, while attracting interest in recent months from the likes of four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Beyond F1, McLaren’s operations include an IndyCar programme, though this only accounts for around 10% of the revenue the team generates.

It previously had a Formula E outfit, too, but abandoned that last year to focus on its return to the FIA World Endurance Championship’s and the 24 Hours of Le Mans’ top flight in 2027.

Beyond its racing division, McLaren’s automotive arm has seen a period of boom, too, with the group announcing earlier in September that it would create 1000 jobs in the UK.

It’s part of an investment package that was received by the Labour government, under new prime minister Andy Burnham, as a vote of confidence in UK industry during a fragile jobs market.