🔗 Share this article

Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

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

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years due to the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

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

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races remaining this season.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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