Toto Wolff Set to Divest Shareholding Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

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

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

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

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

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

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

The team won a record eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.