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

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

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

An official representative stated: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

It is the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Current Performance

Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races remaining this season.

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

The team won a record eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.