Toto Wolff Set to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn

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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

An official representative stated: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of the team stays unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Valuation Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity 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 earned more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

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

Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.