Lewis Hamilton previously suggested he would jump at the chance of being involved in a Manchester United takeover bid – as Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally confirmed his plans.
The British billionaire has been flirting with the prospect of buying his childhood club for several months as many United fans pine for a new owner. The Glazer family finally put the club up for sale in November after intense pressure from supporters who have been demanding changes.
Ratcliffe has naturally been heavily linked again ever since and, on Tuesday, became the first party to make a public move by confirming his plans. "We have formally put ourselves into the process," a spokesman for the INEOS chairman confirmed to The Times.
Formula 1 star Hamilton has a strong relationship with Ratcliffe. Not only is the 70-year-old a part-owner of his Mercedes team, but the two Brits are also friends and Hamilton has openly said he sees the billionaire as more of a partner than a boss.
The seven-time world champion has also made it very clear that he is keen to get more involved in the ownership of sports teams. He is already an investor in NFL franchise the Denver Broncos and made it clear he would be open to adding a stake in Manchester United to his sizeable business empire.
"Jim’s part boss but partner – I'd say we're more partners because we're in this together and I hope in future to do something with Jim and build with him," said Hamilton last year. "I don't know where that will be or what that will be, so I can't really say.
"I haven't had a call from him asking if I want to be involved in [a United takeover bid] just yet, but I do want to get more and more involved in teams because I really do believe in black ownership – there is a lack of it in sports – and black equity. Again, there is a real lack of that."
Ratcliffe's intentions to buy United come after a failed attempt to buy Chelsea when the London club was abruptly put up for sale last year. Hamilton was also involved in that race as he joined Sir Martin Broughton's consortium, but both lost out to Todd Boehly who paid more than £4bn for the Blues.
Anyone who wants to buy United may have to pay even more than that, with the Glazers reportedly holding out for a fee closer to £5bn to sell the club. Ratcliffe may be rivalled by bids from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while huge American companies like Apple and Amazon have also been linked.
