🔗 Share this article

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Increase

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports film to date.

Present Performance

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

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.