Toto Wolff dismisses Mercedes rumours – Just when Formula 1 fans thought that Las Vegas had delivered all the drama they could handle, glittering lights, questionable track grip and more celebrity cameos than a Marvel film, Toto Wolff stepped in with an unexpected plot twist.
Just days before the Las Vegas Grand Prix, news broke that Wolff had sold part of his stake in the Mercedes F1 team to CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz. Rumours instantly began to circulate, suggesting that Wolff was preparing to leave the team. Apparently not. And Toto made sure everyone understood that.
“I have absolutely no intention of selling the team or giving up my role,” said the 53-year-old in Sin City, probably wondering how many times he needs to repeat himself before people stop trying to retire him.
“I’m in good shape and I enjoy the work. As long as I feel I’m making a contribution, and others feel the same way, there’s no reason to consider that option.”
Message received: Wolff is staying put.
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A Slice Sold, Not the Whole Cake
Wolff’s transaction sounds dramatic on paper, Mercedes boss sells part of his team, but the reality is considerably less explosive. He sold 15% of his holding company, which controls one-third of Mercedes F1. The actual amount of the team he sold is therefore just five percent.
The remaining two-thirds of Mercedes remain with Mercedes-Benz itself and INEOS CEO Jim Ratcliffe, who continues to acquire parts of the sporting world as though completing a billionaire’s Pokémon collection.
Wolff insists the sale to Kurtz had a straightforward purpose: to strengthen Mercedes’ presence in the US.
“That was the reason, there’s nothing else behind it,” he said. No midlife crisis, no corporate coup, no shocking Netflix twist.
Meanwhile, Kurtz arrives with a CV that could double as a sponsorship pitch: he is a racer, a long-time Mercedes-AMG ambassador, an entrepreneur and a cybersecurity mogul. He’s one of those people who casually juggles five careers while normal people struggle to sort the laundry.
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Valuations are skyrocketing, even Toto is surprised
If anyone feels short-changed, it won’t be Toto. The sale reportedly values the Mercedes F1 team at an astonishing $6 billion. This would make it the most valuable team in Formula 1, even surpassing those that sell more merchandise than points.
To put this into perspective: INEOS bought its one-third stake in 2020 for around $200 million. Now, the same stake would be worth around $2 billion. That’s a tenfold increase in less than five years, far better than some F1 teams’ upgrades manage over a whole season.
Wolff himself seems somewhat taken aback by the inflation of F1’s financial bubble.
“If someone had told us five years ago what the teams’ valuations would be today, nobody would have believed it,” he admitted. Not even the most optimistic accountant could have predicted this level of financial growth.
A five percent stake is now worth around $300 million. Just imagine how many pit wall headsets Toto could smash for that kind of money. The mind boggles…
Formula 1: The Hottest Investment in Town
Wolff’s sale is just the latest chapter in a wider trend. F1 teams are becoming investment magnets. Venture capitalists, tech giants and sovereign wealth funds all want a piece of the fastest business on wheels.
In September, Bahrain’s Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund and Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings collectively acquired the remaining 30% of McLaren at a valuation of over $4 billion. As they already owned the rest of the team, this essentially gives them full ownership of McLaren—orange cars and all.
These figures reflect a sport whose value has exploded thanks to global expansion, surging US interest, the popularity of Drive to Survive, and the fact that even struggling teams have somehow become billion-dollar assets.
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Wolff’s Future: Firmly Behind the Pit Wall
So, is this the beginning of Toto Wolff’s retirement? A soft exit? A subtle goodbye? Absolutely not, according to Wolff himself.
He’s enjoying the job, he feels he’s making a contribution, and the team wants him there. In Formula 1 terms, that’s as close as you get to a lifetime contract. His message is clear: the rumours may race around the paddock, but Toto Wolff is not going anywhere.
“There’s no reason to think that way,” he said. And with $6 billion valuations being bandied about, why would he?
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With Toto Wolff withdrawing from his very public courtship of Max Verstappen, the future of the current world champion is set for at least another year. With the biggest technical regulation changes coming in 2026, it was pointless for Max to jump from the Milton Keynes ship until he had some idea of the future pecking order.
There may easily be six top teams in 2026, with Audi entering the sport with decades of top flight motor racing experience in other categories. Aston Martin have completed their mega complex in Silverstone and have Adrian Newey calling the shots.
Yet who will emerge on top is anyone’s guess presently, although based on their dominance at the last major change of power unit regulations, Mercedes are most people’s favourite choice to come out top of the pile.
Marko high praise for academy driver
With Verstappen’s services safely secured for at least another year, Red Bull now face the perennial dilemma over who should partner him in the all new RB22. Yuki Tsuoda has had a terrible time since being promoted alongside the world champion and as Verstappen’s team mate has scored fewer points than all before him.
The Japanese driver’s F1 career looked to be over in the autumn of this season despite breaking his seven race streak of no points in Zandvoort. At the time Dr. Helmut Marko was talking up his academy driver Arvid Landblad who was in contention for the F2 championship.
Given any opportunity, Dr. Helmut Marko was up for talking about his rising star Lindblad, who despite being under age was granted special permission by the FIA to gain his super license. This gave him the opportunity at the British Grand Prix to take the RB21 for a run in FP1 where he completed twenty two laps and was fourthteenth in the time sheets, just 4/10ths slower than Max Verstappen.
In his Speedweek column the following week, Marko heaped praise on the young driver. “His speed was right, his statements were profound, and the technicians are very happy with his performance,” wrote the Austrian. The Red Bull advisor went on to praise his Lindblad for his performance in a TPC (testing in previous cars) outing where he completed more than a 100 laps at Silverstone “showing excellent physical condition and competitive lap times,” READ MORE
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