Toto Wolff Set to Sell Shareholding 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 Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure last September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Increase

The deal would represent a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458m) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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