Stephen Fitzpatrick was a fan of Formula One before he became a team owner. The businessman built up his career from humble beginnings in Scotland and Ireland, before creating OVO Energy – a fledgling company that took on the bigger businesses in the UK’s energy sector. When Manor Racing was about to fail, Fitzpatrick partnered with friend Justin King to save the team for the 2015 season.

Biography

Stephen Fitzpatrick earned his degree in finance and business at the University of Edinburgh, after leaving his hometown of Belfast to study. Immediately after leaving university, Fitzpatrick created a real estate advertising company in Scotland, before moving to London to pursue his career.

He wound down the real estate company and instead focused on the energy sector. He founded OVO Energy in 2009, after spending several years saving up the funds to start and learning about the energy business while he was at it. Fitzpatrick took on the larger energy companies in a row over price rises, instigating an investigation into the competition of the so-called “Big Six” suppliers in the UK.

Whilst concentrating on his businesses, and winning several entrepreneurial awards along the way, Fitzpatrick harboured a burning love for Formula One, calling himself a lifelong fan. He partnered with businessman Justin King to pool their money and save the Manor F1 team when they were on the brink of exiting the sport in 2015. The funding allowed the team to continue in the sport, and the team’s fortunes began to pick up with stronger drivers and the occasional solid result.

Unfortunately in early 2017, Fitzpatrick put the Manor team into administration after they failed to get the much-needed tenth place in the previous season and the squad officially folded at the end of January.