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

Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no official statement on this. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge 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 box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

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

Present Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left this season.

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

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