Toto Wolff Set to Sell Stake Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, 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 CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on this. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

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

The rise reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Current Performance

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left in the current championship.

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

The team secured a record eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.