The company is thought to have paid up to B500 million (£344 million) for the stake in Dorna, which was put up for sale when fellow private equity firm CVC, was told by the European Commission that it had to sell as a condition of its acquisition of Formula One earlier this year. Bridgepoint is thought to have beaten off competition from other private equity interests Permira, PAI, Advent, Apax and Lion Capital.
CVC paid around £45 million to buy a 75-per-cent-stake in Dorna in 1998. The remaining shares are held by Dorna’s management, led by Carmelo Ezpeleta.
