đŸ”— Share this article Toto Wolff Preparing to Divest Stake Valuing Mercedes Formula 1 Team at £4.6bn Toto Wolff has led the Mercedes team to record-breaking achievements in Formula 1 Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit. This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure last September. The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent. Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through. Shareholder Structure Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the enterprise. A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One." Valuation Growth The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022. This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world. This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide. It is Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports film ever released. Present Performance The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship. Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 races 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 record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.