Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6bn

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

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record 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 the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Valuation Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

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

It is Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports movie to date.

Present Performance

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

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a record eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.