Wolff Set to Sell Stake Pricing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned over $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far 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 record eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.