Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion

Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own a third of the enterprise.

An official representative stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Their lead driver George Russell has won two of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.