🔗 Share this article

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

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

The rise reflects the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned over $630m (£458m) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

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

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

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