🔗 Share this article

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

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

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

An official representative said: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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