🔗 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 values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

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

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold a third of the company.

An official representative said: "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."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Current Performance

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

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.