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

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Ownership Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

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

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.