🔗 Share this article

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding in the region of 5%.

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

Shareholder Structure

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

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports film ever released.

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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