🔗 Share this article Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion Team Principal Wolff has guided Mercedes to record-breaking achievements in Formula 1 Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit. This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September. The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding approximately 5%. The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through. Shareholder Structure The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company. An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1." Valuation Increase This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022. This surge demonstrates the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world. This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office. It is Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports movie ever released. Current Performance The Mercedes team are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship. 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 after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen. Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.