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

Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the company.

An official representative said: "We are providing no comment on this. The management structure of the team stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Current Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.