Toto Wolff Set to Sell Shareholding Pricing Mercedes F1 at £4.6bn
Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.
The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.
Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.
Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.
Ownership Structure
Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold a third of the company.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."
Financial Growth
The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.
The rise reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.
This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.
It is Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports movie to date.
Present Performance
Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.
Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes secured a record eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.
