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

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

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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