The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team has announced that George Kurtz, CEO and founder of CrowdStrike, has become a co-owner of the team and been appointed as the technology advisor.
Through his personal acquisition of a 15% minority interest in the ownership entity controlled by Toto Wolff, who holds one-third of the team in partnership with Mercedes-Benz and Ineos, Kurtz joins the team’s long-term ownership group.
Kurtz also joins the team’s strategic steering committee alongside the chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group, 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.
In his advisory role, Kurtz will guide the team’s innovation and technology strategy, focusing on the intersection of motorsport, data analytics and performance. He will also help expand the team’s global tech ecosystem and attract strategic partners and investment.
“Winning in racing and cybersecurity requires speed, precision and innovation. Milliseconds matter. Execution counts. Data wins,” said Kurtz. “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 a strategic partnership dating back to 2019, when CrowdStrike became a global partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. CrowdStrike continues to provide AI-powered cybersecurity solutions to protect the team’s technology infrastructure.
Welcoming Kurtz to the team, 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 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.”
In related news, ADAC GSE Rally Cup sees performance increase with Mokka in and Corsa out
