Toto Wolff Set to Divest Stake Pricing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion

Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports film ever released.

Current Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 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's Max Verstappen.

The team won a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.