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

Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

An official representative said: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Growth

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports movie to date.

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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