🔗 Share this article

Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Growth

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.