George Kurtz becomes co-owner of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

George Kurtz, an endurance racer and the founder and CEO of American cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, has become a co-owner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.

Kurtz has acquired a 15% minority stake in the ownership group controlled by Toto Wolff, who had recently announced his intention of selling part of his shares in the German outfit.

Kurtz will serve as the team’s Technology Advisor, becoming a part of their strategic steering committee. He will support the team’s innovation and technology strategy and focus on the “intersection of competitive motorsport, data analytics, and performance”, while also working towards growing a base for the team in the US and other global technology sectors.

The 55-year-old has been a partner of Mercedes through CrowdStrike since 2019.

On his new role, Kurtz commented:

“Winning in racing and cybersecurity requires speed, precision, and innovation. Milliseconds matter. Execution counts. Data wins. Technology is reshaping competitive advantage and human capability everywhere, including motorsport. I’m excited to help the team securely accelerate forward.”

Toto Wolff, Team Principal, Mercedes-AMG Formula One Team, said:

“George’s background is unusual in its breadth: he’s a racer, a loyal sporting ambassador for Mercedes-AMG, and an exceptional entrepreneur. He understands both the demands of racing and the realities of building and scaling technology businesses. That combination brings specific insight that is increasingly relevant to the future of Formula 1.”