Toto Wolff Set to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion

Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

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

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of the team stays unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

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

The rise demonstrates the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

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

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports film ever released.

Present Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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