🔗 Share this article

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

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren 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, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

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

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports film to date.

Present Performance

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

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix 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 record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.