🔗 Share this article

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630m (£458m) at the box office.

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

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after 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 for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.