Wolff Set to Divest Shareholding Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion

Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.

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

Shareholder Structure

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

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

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

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

Present Standings

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

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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