🔗 Share this article Toto Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6 Billion Toto Wolff has guided the Mercedes team to historic achievements in F1 Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit. This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure last September. The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of five percent. The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and chief executive officer 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 management structure of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One." Financial Increase The deal would represent a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022. This surge demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to 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 debuted last summer and earned more than $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide. The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports film ever released. Present Performance The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship. Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen. Mercedes won a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.