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

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

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

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

Shareholder Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the company.

An official representative said: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Valuation Growth

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

It is the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports film ever released.

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

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

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