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

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

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

An official representative said: "We are providing no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.