Wolff Set to Divest Shareholding Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion

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

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant 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 Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Increase

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

The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports movie to date.

Present Standings

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

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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