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

Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the enterprise.

An official representative said: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Standings

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

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

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