Toto Wolff Set to Sell Stake Pricing Mercedes F1 at £4.6bn

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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in a change of corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned over $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports film to date.

Present Standings

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

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won two of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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