Toto Wolff Set to Sell Shareholding Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the enterprise.

An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of the team stays unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in market values of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.