Mercedes F1 co-owner launches Manchester United bid

Ratcliffe and Hamilton — Photo: © LAT Images

Mercedes - Manchester United

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Mercedes F1 co-owner launches Manchester United bid

Is the one-third Mercedes F1 owner set to add to his sports portfolio?

Sam Hall

Wednesday 18 January 2023 10:43

Mercedes F1 co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS has officially lodged its interest in purchasing Manchester United.

The British Billionaire took a one-third stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit in December 2020 with Daimler and team principal Toto Wolff equally sharing the other shares.

Should he be successful in this bid, Ratcliffe would add Manchester United to INEOS Grenadiers, Ligue 1 side Nice and Swiss Super League team, FC Lausanne-Sport.

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Confirming its interest in purchasing the former Champions League-winning club, an INEOS spokesperson said: "We have formally put ourselves into the process."

The bid comes after current owners the Glazer family announced in November that they were willing to listen to offers.

Hamilton in on the deal?

This is not the first time that Ratcliffe has made a move to purchase a Premier League team after a £4.25 billion offer to acquire Chelsea was rejected last year.

On that occasion, seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was part of a separate consortium involved in the bid.

Speaking in September last year when whispers of a Manchester United takeover began, Hamilton did not deny his interest in joining forces with Ratcliffe but confirmed no contact had been made.

The Mercedes driver, who has since become part-owner of the NFL's Denver Broncos, has been an advocate for increasing diversity in sports ownership, previously stating: "I do want to get more and more involved in teams because I really do believe in Black ownership which there is a lack of in sports and Black equity which, again, there is a real lack of."