Toto Wolff Set to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn

Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Increase

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

The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports film ever released.

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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