'If the race is there, you win it': CrowdStrike CEO and Mercedes F1 investor George Kurtz on driving phenom Kimi Antonelli
Winning on and off the grid is the daily focus of CrowdStrike (CRWD) founder and CEO George Kurtz. Kurtz is an accomplished endurance racer with a passion for driving Mercedes-AMG cars. That led him to purchase a minority interest in the storied Mercedes Formula One team, which CrowdStrike has long sponsored, in late 2025 for a cool $300 million. It's an incredible marriage of Kurtz's public company experience, tech experience, and passion for high-speed racing. The investment coincides with a mind-blowing season for the young Kimi Antonelli, a racing phenom since age 12.CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco on May 25, 2025. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)·NurPhoto via Getty Images "For someone who just turned 20 recently, he's incredibly mature, and I think he's figured out if the race is there, you win it," Kurtz said at Yahoo Finance Invest. "If you don't have the car or it didn't go your way, you just bank points to get on the podium, and that's what wins championships. And it's been so exciting to see him actually deliver." Antonelli has enjoyed a meteoric ascent through motor sports, dominating junior karting and formula categories under the Mercedes Junior Team, bypassing Formula Three to enter F1. Insights from Yahoo Finance Invest 2026 Chicago Fed's Austan Goolsbee: 'We're at a precarious moment' with inflation Why CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz is looking forward to Anthropic and OpenAI going public 'The world is not going to end in 2030': CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz on Anthropic IPO's warning to humanity Stepping into a full-time Mercedes Formula One seat for 2025 as the chosen successor to legendary seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who left for Ferrari (RACE), the Italian sensation has wasted no time rewriting the sport's history books. Antonelli recently became F1 World Champion. The 20-year-old driver secured nine wins this season, including a record five consecutive victories. Follow Brian Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email him at brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com. View Comments