🔗 Share this article

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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of five percent.

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

Ownership Structure

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

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

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

Current Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.