🔗 Share this article

Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to offload a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding approximately 5%.

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

Ownership Structure

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Standings

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

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

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