Mateschitz buys Ecclestone's $650 million Formula 1 car collection

The 94-year-old former Formula 1 supremo Ecclestone, who began assembling the collection more than 50 years ago, confirmed the sale was made for an undisclosed fee, according to the Daily Mail. The assortment of 69 Grand Prix cars now belongs to Mateschitz, the 32-year-old heir to the Red Bull empire and owner of the Salzburg-based energy drinks company that has secured 14 world titles in Formula 1.

Ecclestone, who is worth a reported $2.4 billion according to Forbes, expressed his satisfaction with the new custodian of the collection, saying, "These are unique vehicles. They have written sports history and marked technical milestones.

"They embody 70 years of F1 history. It means a great deal to me to know that this collection is now in the very best of hands. Mark is the best and most worthy owner we could ever imagine," added Ecclestone.

Mateschitz, who inherited his father Dietrich's 49 percent stake in Red Bull following his passing in October 2022, acknowledged the significance of the acquisition: "I am very pleased that Bernie has placed his trust in me to take care of this historically significant collection. It will be carefully preserved, expanded over the years, and in the near future it will be made accessible to the public at an appropriate location."

Among the prized vehicles in the collection is the Ferrari driven by Britain's first world champion Mike Hawthorn in 1958. The assembly also includes Ferraris previously raced by Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda, as well as the Vanwall VW10, which Sir Stirling Moss drove to the team’s first constructors' title in 1958.

Ecclestone previously hinted at his decision to part with the collection, citing concerns over its future. "I am 94 and with luck I might have a few years longer. Who knows? But I didn’t want to leave Fabi wondering what to do with them if I was no longer around. I love all my cars but maybe I should have done this five years ago, but I never got around to it until now."

The collection also features Brabham cars from the team Ecclestone once owned, a key chapter in his rise to becoming Formula 1’s most influential figure. His four-decade reign over the sport ended in 2017 when Liberty Media acquired F1 in a £6.4 billion ($8.2 billion) buyout, shifting control into American hands.

Now residing in Gstaad, Switzerland, Ecclestone spends time between his Swiss home and his vast coffee farm in Brazil, located 90 miles outside São Paulo. On Thursday, he marked the sale of his prized collection by picking up his four-and-a-half-year-old son Ace from school in Switzerland.