Mercedes has Kurtz invest in F1 team; Newey part of new docu

Mercedes has named George Kurtz as new minority shareholder of F1 team after buying stake from Toto Wolff, as Adrian Newey gets a new documentary.

Business innovator and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner invests in the future of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and George Kurtz, CEO and Founder of CrowdStrike, today announced that Kurtz has become a co-owner of the team and been appointed Technology Advisor. Through his personal acquisition of a 15% minority interest in the ownership entity controlled by Toto Wolff, which holds one third of the team in partnership with Mercedes-Benz and INEOS, Kurtz joins Mercedes-Benz, INEOS, and Toto Wolff in the team’s long-term ownership group.

Kurtz also joins the team’s strategic steering committee alongside Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG Ola Källenius, INEOS Group Founder and Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Toto Wolff. The governance of the team remains unchanged, and Wolff continues in all existing executive roles. Kurtz is an accomplished endurance racer and globally respected business leader who has built the most successful AI cybersecurity company of the modern era. As an entrepreneur, technologist, and S&P 500 CEO, he’s established and scaled world-class innovation and teams. Kurtz’s combination of experience uniquely spans cybersecurity, large-scale technology operations, and professional motorsport.

In his advisory capacity, Kurtz will support the team’s innovation and technology strategy, with a focus on the intersection of competitive motorsport, data analytics, and performance. He will also work to grow the team’s ecosystem across the U.S. and global technology sectors, and to secure competitive advantage and investment from new tech partners. “Winning in racing and cybersecurity requires speed, precision, and innovation. Milliseconds matter. Execution counts. Data wins,” said George Kurtz, CrowdStrike Founder and CEO. “Technology is reshaping competitive advantage and human capability everywhere, including motorsport. I’m excited to help the team securely accelerate forward.”

Kurtz’s ownership builds on years of strategic partnership since CrowdStrike became a Global Partner with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team in 2019. This strategic partnership continues, with CrowdStrike providing AI-powered cybersecurity solutions that protect the team’s technology infrastructure. Welcoming George Kurtz to the team, Team Principal and CEO Toto Wolff commented: “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 One.”

Adrian Newey documentary –

Aston Martin Aramco, The Whisper Group and Mark Stewart Productions (MSP) today announced an exciting collaboration with Artists Equity to deliver Turbulence: The Greatest Mind in F1 (working title), a documentary telling the incredible story of Adrian Newey, the world’s greatest ever race car designer, as he sets out on his ambitious journey of  advancing Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team to the front of the grid. The documentary will be produced in collaboration with Aston Martin Aramco and F1.

With an extraordinary 12 World Constructors’ Championships and 14 World Drivers’ Championships to his credit, F1 fans revere Adrian as an era-defining genius. Turbulence follows Newey into the next chapter of his career after he surprised the motorsports world at the beginning of 2025 by leaving Red Bull to join Aston Martin Aramco. Given his unprecedented run of success over the last three decades, the expectations and pressure as he joins Aston Martin Aramco are sky-high. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the team’s Silverstone campus, the film will follow Adrian as he attempts to design a World Championship challenging car for the relentlessly ambitious British brand, led by owner Lawrence Stroll.

This contemporary narrative will be intercut with scenes exploring the triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies of Adrian’s truly astonishing career. Turbulence will transcend motorsport and explore universal human themes of ambition, sacrifice, tragedy, and redemption. Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team: “When Mark Stewart approached me about making a docu film, whilst flattered I was initially not sure whether to accept. However, one of the touching things about my 2017 autobiography is the number of letters I have received, relaying how much the book had sparked their interest in and appreciation of the design and engineering that goes into racing cars, how interactive the car design is with the drivers, and how much success is about mindset.

“Hopefully this film can portray the passion, the working practice, the strength of mind that is involved in bringing an F1 car to the grid. The film charts the challenges I have faced in joining a new team in early March to prepare for what is arguably the biggest regulation change in F1 history. It also delves into the story behind my career up to this point and how it has helped to prepare me for this enormous challenge. It’s been a wild ride so far, but F1 never stands still. I hope that the film will capture some of that restless energy, and our constant drive towards improved performance.”

Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team: “Adrian Newey is a legend of the sport and the greatest F1 car designer of all time, which is why we brought him into the  Aston Martin Aramco family. This documentary will provide unprecedented access to the brilliant mind  of Adrian and the inside story behind one of the most exciting projects in world sport. We are proud to be working with all partners involved to make this content truly special and unique.”

Ben Affleck, CEO Artists Equity: “This film is about so much more than just racing, it’s about a living legend whose unrivaled career is full of ambition and reinvention. It’s those deep human attributes that we at Artists Equity feel so connected to and want to share in the stories we tell. We’re honored to help bring Adrian’s story to life alongside all of our incredible partners.”

Whisper CEO Sunil Patel commented: “Whisper believes in telling stories that impact the world, and you will struggle to find a more compelling and intriguing one as Adrian Newey’s incredible F1 journey. The commitment to access, authenticity and honesty from Aston Martin will give genuine insight into what it takes to thrive and succeed in a sport where only the highest standards will do, and accountability is ultimately measured in the performance of teams and machines. We’re excited to be partnering with Artists Equity and MSP to deliver this brilliantly conceived project globally, as well as in core markets of the US and UK.”

Mark Stewart: “Adrian Newey is the greatest engineer ever to grace F1. I’ve known him for many years, and this project comes at a very special moment in his career. It’s a great privilege for MSP to be telling this remarkable story with such an amazing team of collaborators in London and LA.”

In collaboration with F1 & Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, Turbulence will be executive produced by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Kyle Wheeler for Artists Equity, Brian Venturo and Stephen O’Connor, Drew Masters, Chris Grubb, Sunil Patel and Emma Everitt for Whisper, and by Mark Stewart for MSP. The film will be executive produced and directed by Patrick Mark and Michael Tolajian.

Here’s Adrian Newey on working on 2026

[The story is as per press release]