Wolff Preparing to Sell Stake Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion

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

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in a change of corporate structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of 5%.

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

Shareholder 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 will be making no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Increase

The deal would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left this season.

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

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