Wolff Set to Divest Shareholding Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion
Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The deal values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.
Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of five percent.
Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.
Ownership Breakdown
The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own a third of the company.
An official representative stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."
Valuation Growth
This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.
The rise reflects the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.
This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.
The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports film ever released.
Present Standings
The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining this season.
Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won two of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
The team secured a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.
