Toto Wolff Set to Divest Stake Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn

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

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

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

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

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who both hold a third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Valuation Increase

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.

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

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports film to date.

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.