Wolff Preparing to Sell Stake Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6bn

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

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

An official representative stated: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of the team stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Growth

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

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races remaining this season.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix 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 unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.