🔗 Share this article Toto Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes F1 at £4.6 Billion Toto Wolff has guided the Mercedes team to historic achievements in F1 Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit. The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure last September. The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent. Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through. Ownership Structure Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the enterprise. A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One." Valuation Growth The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group bought its share for £208 million in 2022. This surge demonstrates the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally. This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office. The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports film to date. Present Performance The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season. Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.