Wolff Preparing to Sell Stake Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the company.

An official representative said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and earned more than $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

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

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