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

Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

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

This surge demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams 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 last summer and earned over $630m (£458m) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

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

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.