Toto Wolff Preparing to Sell Shareholding Pricing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell 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 an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.
Wolff, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.
The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.
Ownership Structure
The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the company.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no official statement on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."
Financial Growth
The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of F1 teams in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.
This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at the box office.
The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports movie ever released.
Current Standings
The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left this season.
Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes secured a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.
