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NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- MSP Sports Capital provides strategic capital at the intersection of McLaren

Racing's continued success and announcement of a full 2021 racing calendar.

Today, McLaren Racing announced it received an investment from MSP Sports

Capital ("MSP"), a New York-based privately held investment advisory firm. MSP

Sports Capital and its limited partners were joined by The Najafi Companies and

UBS O'Connor, which provided co-investment.  

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The transaction values McLaren Racing at GBP560m and strengthens the team's

long-term plan for growth and continued success.

Recent MSP investments include stakes in Agrupación Deportiva Alcorcon S.A.D.,

Waasland Beveren, which plays in the Belgian Jupiter League, a Spanish football

team based in Madrid, and Estoril Praia Futebol SAD, a Portuguese sports club

based in Lisbon which is currently in first place in the LigaPro. MSP's McLaren

Racing investment builds on a portfolio of high performing sports properties.

Steven Wasserman, Principal at MSP, commented: "We are delighted to invest in

McLaren Racing and are excited by the prospects for the business. It is an

honor to be a part of this storied franchise. We see significant growth

potential in all of our investments and believe that McLaren's history,

management and cutting-edge technology capability make it an ideal partnership

for our organization." This investment continues and furthers our mission to

source and develop compelling opportunities on behalf of our fund investors.

"This investment represents a key moment in the progress of McLaren Racing. MSP

is first and foremost a sports investor," said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren

Racing. "They know the market and their team has considerable experience and

proven success in global sports properties. They are a partner as much as a

shareholder, with the ability to leverage their network and knowledge for the

long-term benefit of McLaren Racing."  

"We're excited about the opportunity to support Zak Brown and his management

team and to help grow the McLaren Racing brand," said Jeff Moorad, Principal at

MSP. "We're committed to assist the team in accomplishing its objective of

returning to the front of the grid."  

Jahm Najafi, Principal at MSP said, "As a Principal at MSP, I am delighted that

we have been able to execute on such an exciting transaction and feel

privileged to help steward and support such an enduring and admired company. We

feel strongly in both the asset quality and our execution capabilities, such

that my firm, The Najafi Companies, has decided to come in as a co-investor."

About MSP Sports Capital

MSP Sports Capital is an operationally focused private investment manager

targeting tactical investments in sports and the related sports ecosystem. MSP

seeks opportunities in dynamic sports-related sectors where its investment

partners can support value creation and corporate efficiencies. MSP's

principals are experienced, well-known figures in the sports industry, as

owners, investors and operators in the National Football League (NFL), Major

League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), ESPN, and sports

management. MSP is headquartered in New York. For more information, please

visit: http://mspsportscapital.com/

About UBS O'Connor

UBS Asset Management is a large-scale asset manager with a presence in 23

markets. It offers investment capabilities and investment styles across all

major traditional and alternative asset classes to institutions, wholesale

intermediaries and wealth management clients around the world.

UBS O'Connor is UBS Asset Management's global single-manager hedge fund

platform, offering both multi-strategy and standalone capabilities, with USD

7.1 billion in assets under management as of November 1, 2020.

About The Najafi Companies

The Najafi Companies is an entrepreneurially-driven private investment firm

which makes highly selective investments across industries with significant

holdings in consumer, sports, media, ecommerce, retail and technology. By

funding its investments with internally generated capital and utilizing a

strategy of concentration, not diversification, Najafi is empowered to think

long-term, remain highly flexible and operate in true alignment with

management. The team's passion is to create value in areas that are underserved

or undergoing rapid transformation, and during these uncertain times, The Najafi

Companies continues its mission to "do well and do good" and partner with

world-class, entrepreneurial teams. Headquartered in Phoenix with offices in LA and NY.

About McLaren Racing

McLaren Racing was founded by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963.

The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966, since when McLaren has won

20 Formula 1 world championships, more than 180 Formula 1 grands prix, the Le

Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt and the Indianapolis 500 three times.

McLaren Racing currently competes in Formula 1 globally and INDYCAR in the US.

The team will contest the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Lando

Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and the INDYCAR Series with drivers Pato O'Ward

and Felix Rosenqvist, who will both be joined by Juan Pablo Montoya for the

2021 Indianapolis 500.

SOURCE  MSP Sports Capital

CONTACT: Doug Turner, MSP Sports Capital, dwturner@agenda-global.com / +1 917

369 0382; Anne Robertson, The Najafi Companies, arobertson@lavidge.com / +1 480

694 3163; Tim Bampton, Director of Communications, McLaren Racing,

tim.bampton@mclaren.com / +44 (0) 7468 714614