Mercedes F1 Valued at 6 Billion: Wolff Sells Stake and Cashes In
The operation doesn't affect his role as CEO and Team Principal, but gives Mercedes the highest valuation ever in Formula 1 history
Austrian entrepreneur Toto Wolff currently holds 33% of the world champion team, sharing ownership with Mercedes-Benz and British group INEOS, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Negotiations are reportedly in advanced stages and involve a small stake in the company that holds his team shares, Motorsports Investment Limited, registered in Guernsey in 2013.
Is Toto Wolff Loosening His Grip on Mercedes?
There’s no need for alarm or to think that the Austrian manager might slowly distance himself from Mercedes. In fact, the sale would involve a stake in the holding company and not in the team itself; this means Toto Wolff will maintain his decision-making power on the board and continue his roles as CEO and team principal. Essentially, nothing would change in team management.
What makes this operation significant is the resulting valuation: the sale, estimated at a mid-range figure, would value Mercedes F1 at around 6 billion dollars. This would be the highest figure ever recorded for a Formula 1 team, surpassing the recent record set by McLaren’s stake sale, which led to a total valuation of about 5 billion.
The potential buyer of the stake hasn’t been disclosed, but some rumors link George Kurtz, CEO of CrowdStrike, one of the team’s main sponsors, to the ongoing discussions.
An Investment that Has Grown by almost 2 Billion Dollars
For Wolff, who invested in Mercedes in 2013 when the team was valued at about 165 million dollars, the operation would represent a significant appreciation of his investment: in twelve years, the value of his stake would have grown by over 1.8 billion dollars.
Despite the partial sale, Wolff would remain a key figure in managing the Brackley team, which dominated the turbo-hybrid era with eight consecutive Constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021 and seven Drivers’ Championships won with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
The most recent financial results confirm the team’s strength: in the 2024 financial year, Mercedes F1 recorded a 16% increase in revenue compared to the previous year, reaching 858 million dollars in turnover and a net profit of 158 million. Wolff, identified as the highest-paid executive, reportedly received a salary just under 4.5 million pounds, not including bonuses and dividends tied to his shareholding.
Wolff’s move could be interpreted as a simple financial operation to cash in on part of accumulated profits, without any intention of reducing his commitment to the Mercedes project.
