Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Pricing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn

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

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

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell 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 the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Growth

The deal would represent a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned more than $630m (£458m) at the box office.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Present Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left this season.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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