🔗 Share this article

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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

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

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

It is the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining this season.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a record eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.