Wolff Preparing to Sell Shareholding Pricing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion

Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

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

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team stays unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Increase

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

The rise reflects the growth in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Current Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team won a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.