🔗 Share this article Wolff Preparing to Divest Shareholding Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion Team Principal Wolff has guided Mercedes to historic achievements in F1 Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit. This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September. Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of five percent. The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed. Shareholder Breakdown The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company. An official representative said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1." Valuation Increase This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group bought its stake for £208m in 2022. This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally. This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at the box office. It is the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports movie ever released. Present Standings The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season. Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Mercedes won a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.