Wolff Set to Sell Shareholding Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6bn

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

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure last September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned over $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

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

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.