Toto Wolff Preparing to Sell Shareholding Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn

Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

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

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the enterprise.

An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of the team stays unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports film to date.

Current Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

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

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.