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.
But 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 , 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 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 , who went from flogging salmon on the streets to amassing a fortune of £85million.
But his riches are small fry to what others in the business are worth – such as ‘s , 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.
Toto Wolff
After trying his hand as a racing driver before moving into the boardroom, bought a 30 per cent stake in Mercedes in 2013 for an estimated $50million.
And as moved up the rankings, so did his wealth increase – making the Austrian worth around a whopping $1.6billion today, according to Forbes.
Once 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 , 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 Veyron, a 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 Jordan
From 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 made his debut in.
And like other team owners, he had multiple properties around the world including a palatial manor in , a house in , 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 Stroll
Having made a fortune in the fashion industry selling shares in brands such as , the Canadian businessman is thought to be worth over £2billion.
The 65-year-old tycoon is also part-owner of the racing team – and is the dad of their star driver, 26-year-old Lance.
Though based in Geneva, Stroll also owns homes in , Quebec, and also a £70million pad on the 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 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 .
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 GT.
Ron Dennis
Although his split from 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.
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 Dennis
It goes without saying that – 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 Mateschitz
It’s hard to avoid being rich when you’re Mark Mateschitz – son of Dietrich, co-founder of the 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 ‘s private car collection – featuring 69 Grand Prix cars .
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 Ecclestone
The 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 £500million
Among 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 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 .
The £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.
