Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell part of his stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team, Sky Sports News understands. Wolff, who currently owns roughly a third of the team, is exploring the sale of about 5%, which would leave him with around 28%. The 53-year-old would remain team principal and CEO if the transaction goes ahead.
The proposed deal places a value of £4.6bn on Mercedes’ F1 operation. Mercedes released a brief response saying: “We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners [Mercedes-Benz, Toto and INEOS] are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula 1.”
If completed, the sale would reflect a large increase in the team’s valuation since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS purchased its stake for £208m in 2022.
On the track, Mercedes sit second in the constructors’ standings behind already-crowned champions McLaren, with three rounds of the 2025 season remaining. George Russell has taken two of this year’s 21 grands prix and is fourth in the drivers’ championship, behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Mercedes enjoyed a dominant spell in the turbo-hybrid era, claiming eight consecutive constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ championships between 2014 and 2021 — six drivers’ titles for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg.
Wolff has also publicly played down speculation linking Verstappen with a move to Mercedes in 2027.
Formula 1’s title fight continues with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on 21-23 November, live on Sky Sports F1. Viewers can stream Sky Sports via NOW with no contract and the option to cancel anytime.