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    The insanely lavish worlds of F1 tycoons…from Red Bull boss’s private island to £30million Bond villain-style mansion

    AS things heat up ahead of this Sunday’s Bahrain GP, the Gulf State will soon be crowded with the jets and supercars of the rich and famous.It’s fair to say there’s a lot of money in the world of F1 – and drivers and team staff alike certainly get paid handsomely.The late Eddie Jordan certainly knew how to enjoy his £85million fortuneCredit: AlamyEddie was among the most flamboyant of the F1 tycoonsCredit: GETTYRed Bull owner Mark Mateschitz inherited an entire tropical island from his fatherCredit: jason busch/LHW.comBut at the very top of the motor sport pyramid are the people who don’t just run the teams, but own them. And when you combine a net worth of millions – or in many cases billions – with a love of fast cars, you can be sure you’re dealing with a flashy spender.After all, if you can afford an F1 team, you might as well own a yacht on the side – or a Pacific island getaway when you need a break.It’s a sport that attracts some pretty big characters, just like the late Eddie Jordan, who went from flogging salmon on the streets to amassing a fortune of £85million.Read More FeaturesBut his riches are small fry to what others in the business are worth – such as Mercedes’s Toto Wolff, worth a whopping $1.6billion.And even Toto’s wealth is dwarfed by Red Bull owner Mark Mateschitz, who has a net worth of over £30billion. So what have they been spending it all on?Join us as we dive into the lavish lives of the biggest F1 tycoons.Most read in MotorsportBrave Eddie Jordan’s final public appearance just weeks before his deathToto WolffAfter trying his hand as a racing driver before moving into the boardroom, Toto Wolff bought a 30 per cent stake in Mercedes in 2013 for an estimated $50million.And as Mercedes moved up the rankings, so did his wealth increase – making the Austrian worth around a whopping $1.6billion today, according to Forbes. It’s no wonder Toto Wolff takes such an active role in ensuring his teams success – because he owns a third of itCredit: GettyThe Mercedes part-owner enjoys diving off his 49 metre-long superyacht off the coast of MonacoCredit: Instagram/totowolff_originalA video Toto posted to his Instagram shows he isn’t afraid to take his cars – in this case the iconic Mercedes-Benz SL from 1954 – for a spinCredit: Instagram/totowolff_originalOnce living near the team’s base in the UK, Wolff and his family have now moved to Monaco, close to where many of the drivers live.He’s also reported to own an 18,000 square foot mansion in Switzerland, which was reportedly bought for $62million.Unsurprisingly, the 53-year old owns a stunning car collection which features plenty of rare Mercedes. Wolff has frequently been spotted driving round Monaco in his Mercedez-Benz SL from 1954, worth around £1million, as well as the more modern Mercedec-AMG GT R, which sells for around £150,000-190,000.But brand loyalty hasn’t stopped him from also reportedly owning a Bugatti Veyron, a Ferrari LaFerrari, and also an iconic Ferrari F40  which he allegedly sold for some £1.2million. And when road travel doesn’t cut it, he can be spotted relaxing on the 49-metre-long superyacht UU, which he is thought to own – though he is thinking of designing one himself. Eddie JordanThe late Eddie Jordan owned properties around the globeCredit: AlamyEddie Jordan bought the spectacular yacht Blush for £32millionCredit: BLUEI PRODUCTIONSFrom trading on the streets of Dublin to securing iconic sponsorship deals – once convincing delivery firm DHL to repaint all their vans with his famous “Jordan yellow” – the late Eddie Jordan certainly reaped the rewards of his hard graft.Among his lavish assets was Sunseeker’s biggest ever yacht, which he bought for a cool £32million back in 2014, named Blush.Also under his ownership was a stunning 45-metre sailing yacht that let him enjoy times spent near the coast.Over the years, he amassed a massive – and very valuable – collection of F1 memorabilia, including the very car Michael Schumacher made his debut in.And like other team owners, he had multiple properties around the world including a palatial manor in Surrey, a house in Ireland, and a pad in Monaco.He also owned a £750,000 flat in Tooting, London, which he raffled off in 2017 to the lucky winner of the £10-to-enter competition. Lawrence StrollHaving made a fortune in the luxury fashion industry selling shares in brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors, the Canadian businessman is thought to be worth over £2billion.The 65-year-old tycoon is also part-owner of the Aston Martin racing team – and is the dad of their star driver, 26-year-old Lance. Lawrence Stroll, owner of the Aston Martin team, made his fortune selling shares in luxury fashion brandsCredit: The TimesThe Canadian billionaire hosted his 60th birthday party on board his massive yacht Faith, which was attended by the likes of Sarah Ferguson and Catherine Zeta-JonesCredit: PAHe is the proud owner of the Ferrari 250 GTO, which is thought to be worth over £50millionCredit: RexThough based in Geneva, Stroll also owns homes in London, Quebec, and also a £70million pad on the Caribbean island on Mustique where he wed Brazilian stunner Raquel Diniz, 35.When it’s race weekend in Monaco, you can find him on board Faith – a 96-meter superyacht which Toto Wolff has said is the nicest boat he’s ever been on, worth around £200million.Featuring a glass-bottomed swimming pool, beach club, and wet bar, it hosted stars such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas for Stroll’s Great Gatsby-themed 60th birthday bash.Recent reports, however, suggest he’s sold the vessel on – downsizing to a 78-metre-long yacht instead.But it’s cars he really loves, amassing a collection reportedly worth over £140million.This includes a Ferrari 250 GTO, one of the most valuable cars in the world with a price tag north of £50million. Also in his garage are multiple LaFerraris, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB he snapped up for a cool £20million, as well as McLarens and a Ford GT. Ron DennisSir Ron Dennis made a handsome penny from selling his McLaren sharesCredit: GettyWork started last week on his new £30million Berkshire mansionThe enormous property includes underground Roman-style baths, and a private tunnel to the River ThamesAlthough his split from McLaren was far from amicable, Sir Ron still walked away with £275million after selling his shares back in 2017.And what better way to enjoy retirement than to build yourself a £30million ‘Bond villain’ mega-mansion that’s set to be one of the most lavish homes in the country.Work began last week on the 77-year-old’s new Berkshire home for the, which will feature a Roman baths-style underground swimming pool and even a secret tunnel to the Thames to access his boat.There’s also extensive staff quarters, a room just for glassware and crockery, and a hair salon for when you don’t have time to nip down the massive drive to the local barbers. I am a pretty wealthy guy. So why wouldn’t I have some exotic cars?Sir Ron DennisIt goes without saying that the tycoon – who started life as a mechanic – is a massive car nut, once owning four go-karts built by McLaren for his own personal use.And planned for the new mansion is an underground garage complete with turntable to house his fleet of vehicles, including a McLaren worth £5million.“I love my McLarens,” he once told MailOnline.“I am a pretty wealthy guy. So why wouldn’t I have some exotic cars?”, he added.Aerial pictures taken of the plot near Henley-on-Thames last week show that diggers have moved in to start excavating the site. Mark MateschitzMark Mateschitz is one of the world’s youngest multi-billionairesCredit: GettyThanks to the Red Bull fortune, Mateschitz owns a private island in the South PacificCredit: http://www.laucala.comThe Austrian had enough spare cash to snap up Bernie Ecclestone’s extraordinary collection of motorsCredit: Tom Hartley Jnr/PA WireIt’s hard to avoid being rich when you’re Mark Mateschitz – son of Dietrich, co-founder of the Red Bull beverage and sporting empire who passed away three years ago.Dubbed Europe’s richest millennial, Forbes estimates the 32-year-old’s net worth to be north of £30.8billion, making him the 31st richest person on the planet.And Mateschitz has proved keen to carry on his father’s connection to F1, as evidenced by an enormous purchase he made just this month.The young billionaire is the new owner of Bernie Ecclestone’s private car collection – featuring 69 Grand Prix cars estimated to be together worth £500million.The Red Bull owner is thought to own multiple castles and villas across his native Austria, and his rumoured to have a £43.5million pad in swanky Knightsbridge.Also inherited from his dad is the island of Laucala, Fiji, a billionaire’s playground with a luxurious private resort – which even has its own airline to ferry visitors to and from the tropical paradise. And as if the Red Bull billions weren’t enough already, Mateschitz is currently dating heiress to the Swarovski crystal fortune, Victoria. Together, they’re working on a brand new getaway – a multi-million pound villa Marbella, close to where Victoria’s mother lives. Bernie EcclestoneBernie Ecclestone celebrating his 90th birthday with wife Fabiana FlosiCredit: Instagram @fabianaecclestoneEcclestone named his £30million superyacht after his daughter, PetraCredit: RexBernie Ecclestone’s daughter, Petra, is thought to be the owner of this giant 57,000 square ft. Beverly Hills home which was reportedly bought for $150millionCredit: Splash NewsHe enjoys lavish holidays with wife FabianaCredit: fabianaecclestone/InstagramThe F1 supremo himself has amassed billions of the decades, and the 94-year-old certainly knows how to spend it.As we revealed, he was once the owner of a car collection worth around £500millionAmong his property empire was a London home overlooking Kensington Palace, which sold for £57million, and he bought his daughter Tamara a £70million London mansion complete with gold bathtub and 50 staff. He’s now living in Switzerland in a £23million chalet called Le Lion, located in the resort town of Gstaad, along with his wife Fabiana Flosi.Ecclestone – who has an estimated net worth of £1.85billion – also owns not one, but two massive yachts.Read More on The SunThe £30million Petara, named after his daughter, can accommodate up to 12 guests and boasts a spacious interior.Then in 2022, he snapped up the 63 metre-long Force Blue for the bargain price of £6.6million, which features a spa, cinema, and nightclub onboard. 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    F1 star takes delivery of ultra rare Aston Martin valued over £2MILLION designed to be ‘extreme’ version of classic car

    FORMULA ONE veteran Fernando Alonso has taken delivery of his £2million bespoke-made Aston Martin hypercar.Alonso partnered with his team to build the Valiant – which is an extreme rear-winged road legal car.Fernando Alonso has added a new Aston Martin to his personal collectionCredit: Instagram @astonmartin The Aston Martin F1 driver drove his new Valiant in Monaco this weekCredit: Instagram @astonmartin Aston Martin posted pictures of Alonso in his new £2million road-legal carCredit: Instagram @astonmartin Aston Martin explained how it was Alonso’s vision for a lighter, race-car inspired, extreme variation of their Valour model.The team described the Valiant as the “most extreme, front-engine, road-legal Aston Martin ever built”.The track-focused beast can rocket from 0 to 60mph in around three seconds, with a top speed exceeding 200mph.And it is powered by a monster 745hp V12 manual feeding the rears.READ MORE F1 NEWSMeanwhile, two-time world champion Alonso was pictured behind the wheel in the streets of Monaco this week.Aston Martin also showed the Spanish ace, 43, enjoying his “titan” machine kitted out in steel grey.Alonso said: “Valour stirred me to create a more extreme, race car inspired version that was track-focused, while also delivering a thrilling drive on-road.“Valiant is born from my passion for driving to the limit and I have enjoyed working closely with the Q by Aston Martin team on both the design and technical specification and believe we have created a masterpiece.”Most read in MotorsportAlonso himself commissioned the rear-winged hypecarCredit: Instagram @astonmartin It is powered by a monster 745hp V12 manual feeding the rearsCredit: Instagram @astonmartin CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAnd fans loved it, with one writing: “What a beast 🔥.”Another said: “It looks like a Ford Mustang.”Onlookers left stunned as F1 star Fernando Alonso’s £2.3m Aston Martin Valkyrie is filmed on back of tow truckAlonso also gave it full beans up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2024.The 5.2 litre V12-powered machine with 745 horsepower joins Alonso’s impressive car collection.His toy box includes a £2.5million Valkyrie, £1million classic DB5 and Vantage GT3 race car worth £500,000.The Spaniard also has a DTM race car worth half-a-million quid and a £200,000 DBX707 super SUV as his daily driver.Alonso is currently 17th in the drivers standings after failing to finish in the top 10 in the first three races of the season. Alonso has a DBX707 as a daily driverFernando’s £500k DTM race car More

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    Legendary Mercedes driven by five-time F1 champion sold for £42.7MILLION – more than double previous record

    AN ICONIC Mercedes Formula One car has made history by doubling the record for the most expensive Grand Prix car ever sold.The striking silver Mercedes W196 R Stromlinienwage, chassis number 00009/54, was sold for a staggering £42.7million (€52.92m) by an unnamed buyer.The Mercedes W196 R has been sold for £42.7m at an auction in GermanyCredit: PAThe car was driven in 1955 by F1 icons Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling MossCredit: Times Newspapers LtdThe striking silver car doubled the record for most expensive grand prix car soldCredit: PAIt is one of only four complete designs builtCredit: PAOne of only four complete versions ever built, it is only one of the most famous racing cars ever made having been driven by five-time F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio and British icon Sir Stirling Moss.Boasting a top speed of 186mph, the remarkable machine that typifies the “Silver Arrows” nickname claimed victory on its debut in 1955 at the Buenos Aires Grand Prix, but with a cigar shaped open-wheel design.It won five more races that season to win both the driver’s and constructors’ championship.The car was sold by RM Sotheby’s on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.READ MORE IN F1The previous record for the most expensive grand prix car sold also belongs to a Fangio-driven Mercedes, the 1954 Mercedes W196 which sold at Goodwood, England for £19.6m ($29.6m) in 2013.However, it pales in comparison to the most expensive sports car ever sold.That title belongs to 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which was sold in May 2022 for £113m ($140m).The W196 R was donated to the IMS by Mercedes in 1965, and was held for almost 60 years before being auctioned off to raise funds for the museum’s restoration efforts.Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSIMS curator, Jason Vansickle, said: “It’s a beautiful car, it’s a very historic car, it’s just a little bit outside our scope window.”We’ve been fortunate to be stewards of this vehicle for nearly 60 years and it has been a great piece in the museum but with this auction and the proceeds raised, it really will allow us… to be better in the future.”Mercedes launch sleek new PureSpeed racer with NO windscreen & 195mph top speedMercedes withdrew from the motorsport in 1955 following a Le Mans 24 Hours disaster which tragically killed 84 people.They eventually returned in 2010, where they have since won eight constructors titles and seven drivers titles – six with Lewis Hamilton and one with Nico Rosberg. More

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    Who is Wheeler Dealers’ host Mike Brewer and what is his net worth?

    THE car-lover is best known by petrol-heads as the Wheeler Dealers presenter.But who is Mike Brewer, and what’s his net worth? Here’s what we know.
    Mike Brewer presents Wheeler Dealers on the Discovery Channel, with co-host Marc PriestleyCredit: Alamy
    Who is Mike Brewer?
    Mark Brewer is a British television presenter and car enthusiast. 
    He was born in Lambeth, London, on August 28, 1964.
    Brewer is best known as the host of Wheeler Dealers, the Discovery Channel’s car programme, which he has presented since 2003. 
    The premise of the show is that Brewer and the other presenters have a mission to save old vehicles, fix up old cars on a budget, and sell them to a new owner.
    Read more on television
    Brewer’s co-presenter has changed over the years: Edd China was his first co-host, followed by Ant Anstead, and most recently, Marc “Elvis” Priestley. 
    But Brewer is not only a presenter — alongside his television work, he is still active in the motor industry, and opened Mike Brewer Motors in 2012, a dealership in Sheffield. 
    He also launched the annual Used Car Award for used car dealers in the UK, a black-tie event in London. 
    What is Mike Brewer’s net worth?
    Brewer has an estimated net worth between $1.5 million and $4 million (£1.2 million to £3.2 million), owing to his long presenting career, and other business ventures. 
    Most read in Motorsport
    Some sources also indicate that his annual salary is $250,000. 
    Despite his motor industry fame, Brewer is famously down-to-earth.
    Is Mike Brewer married?
    Brewer is married to Michelle Brewer, whom he married in 1992.
    Michelle was born on June 9, 1962. 
    The pair are thought to live in Warwickshire and have one daughter together. 
    In a 2023 interview, Brewer opened up about the impact his career has had on his marriage, saying: “I’ve literally dedicated my life – 26 years actually – dedicated to this craft.
    “And I feel like it’s given me an amazing life but it’s also come at the cost of my marriage.”
    “But there comes a time when I look and I think, maybe I should spend more time with my wife? She drives me mad but I love being with her,” he added.
    Brewer often posts photos of Michelle with his Twitter followers, with captions such as: 
    “Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife  .. life with Michelle is wonderful, I’m so lucky. I love you tons”.
    Michelle, meanwhile, posts on Twitter under the username @MrsMBrewer. 
    In her Twitter bio, she describes herself as “The driving force behind #WheelerDealer”, so it appears the pair work as a team, and Michelle has a lot of involvement in the car industry. 
    What other shows has Mike Brewer presented?
    Brewer started his television career in 1997, on Channel 4’s Deals on Wheels, and ITV’s Pulling Power. 
    In 1999, he presented Driven on Channel 4 for one year. 
    Then in 2003, Wheeler Dealers started, on the Discovery Channel, which Brewer has presented ever since. 
    In 2009, Brewer presented another show on the Discovery Channel — Auto Trader.
    Since 2020, Brewer has also hosted the Wheeler Dealers spin-off show on the Discovery Channel, Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car. 
    For the Discovery Channel, Brewer has also presented Deals on Wheels, Wrecks to Riches, and Frontline Battle Machines.
    In 2020, Brewer took a turn co-hosting a show called The World’s Greatest Cars, on Quest. 
    Alongside television presenting, Brewer launched the Wheeler Dealer Podcast in February 2023, which has so far run for two series. 
    What cars has Mike Brewer owned?
    It comes as no surprise that Brewer has a significant collection of classic cars. 
    Brewer’s first car was a beige Mini 850cc, but he has driven a wide range of cars in the interim period. 
    In 2021, Brewer announced that despite ridiculing electric cars, he’d taken the plunge and bought himself a Porsche Taycan. 
    That same year, Brewer decided to auction off a selection of his own cars, many of which he’s restored and maintained himself, at the Silverstone Auctions at NEC Classic Motor Show.
    In the lot were a 1972 Citroen SM 2.7 four-seat coupé, a 1967 Mini Cooper 1275 S, a 1961 Austin Seven Mini 1961, a 1966 Ford Cortina Lotus Mk1, and a 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider F1.
    Despite his love for his collection of cars, Brewer’s schedule didn’t allow him the time to drive and car for all of them. 
    Brewer has previously said he believes classic cars “are there to be driven. I know that first hand because I’ve got a collection.”
    He said: “Buy something you love, buy something you’re interested in because when you love the car you’re much more likely to be willing to spend time on it, to look after it, to drive it.”
    Brewer also revealed that his Ford Fiesta Mk1 was stolen in June 2023, a car that had been restored by Brewer and Priestly to mark the 20th anniversary of Wheeler Dealers.
    Despite offering a £5000 reward for the card, as of November 2023, it has not been recovered. More