🔗 Share this article Toto Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn Toto Wolff has led Mercedes to historic achievements in Formula 1 Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team. The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September. The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of 5%. The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed. Ownership Structure Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own a third of the company. An official representative stated: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1." Financial Growth The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022. The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport 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 (£458m) at cinemas worldwide. It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports film to date. Present Performance Mercedes are second in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining this season. Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen. The team won a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.