VIDEO SHOWS: FILE OF MERCEDES F1 TEAM PRINCIPAL, CEO AND CO-OWNER TOTO WOLFF RESENDING WITH UPDATED HEADLINE AND STORY SHOWS: SAKHIR, BAHRAIN (FILE – FEBRUARY 25, 2025) (MERCEDES VNR – News use only. no commercial use. no monetisation. no resale) 1. MERCEDES F1 TEAM PRINCIPAL, CEO AND CO-OWNER TOTO WOLFF SPEAKING TO RACING DRIVERS, GEORGE RUSSEL, AND, ANDREA KIMI ANTONELLI, IN GARAGE 2. WOLFF TOUCHING RACE CAR 3. WOLFF TALKING TO ANTONELLI 4. WOLFF PATTING CREW MEMBER ON THE BACK 5. WOLF AND RESERVE DRIVER VALTTERI BOTTAS LISTENING TO RUSSELL 6. VARIOUS OF MERCEDES W16 ON TRACK LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE – FEBRUARY 10, 2020) (REUTERS – Access all) 7. WOLFF AND INEOS CEO, JIM RATCLIFFE, UNVEILING MERCEDES-AMG F1 W11 EQ 8. INEOS LOGO ON CAR 9. WOLFF AND RATCLIFFE SHAKING HANDS AFTER AGREEING SPONSORSHIP DEAL 10. WOLFF AND RATCLIFFE POSING NEXT TO CAR 11. WOLFF AND RATCLIFFE, INEOS LOGO 12. WOLFF SAT ON CAR 13. VARIOUS OF WOLFF AND RATCLIFFE SAT ON CAR WHEELS 14. WOLFF AND RATCLIFFE STANDING UP 16. WOLFF TALKING TO RATCLIFFE BRIXWORTH, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE – NOVEMBER 13, 2018) (REUTERS – Access all) 17. WOLFF SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS STORY: Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell part of his stake in Mercedes F1 to Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz in a deal that would value the Formula One team at a record $6 billion, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday (November 11). Austrian Wolff, Mercedes-Benz and Jim Ratcliffe's petrochemicals giant Ineos currently each hold 33% stakes. Mercedes would not comment on the report but said "the governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One." There was no comment from other named parties. The FT and Sportico, which first reported the talks, indicated Wolff — who serves as team principal as well as head of Mercedes motorsport — planned to bring an outside investor into the holding company that owns his stake. The FT quoted a person with knowledge of the matter saying that the investor would end up taking a stake of about 5% in the team, with Wolff remaining in his roles. Sportico spoke of a "mid-single-digit stake". Global cybersecurity technology company Crowdstrike is a Mercedes team partner with its branding on cars and driver apparel. Kurtz is a keen sportscar racer who has competed at Le Mans and other endurance events. Mercedes won eight constructors' titles in a row from 2014 to 2021 and are second in the 2025 standings after 21 of 24 rounds. McLaren, who use Mercedes engines, have clinched the constructors' crown for the second year in a row and look set to add the drivers' title as well. Bahrain's Mumtalakat and Abu Dhabi's CYVN Holdings took full ownership of McLaren Racing last September in a deal one informed source said at the time valued the champions at $5 billionand set the benchmark. Formula One team valuations have soared, fuelled by the sport's rapid growth in popularity thanks to Netflix docu-series 'Drive to Survive' and Apple's F1 movie, since the days when owning a team was a fast way to lose money. In 2009 Honda famously sold their team to principal Ross Brawn, leader of a management buyout after the Japanese withdrew, for one pound. Brawn led the team to that year's championship, with Jenson Button taking the drivers' crown. Renault also reportedly bought the struggling Lotus team for the same amount in 2015. They now compete as Alpine with celebrity shareholders including Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds and NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Alpine were valued at around $900 million after the investor group took a 24% equity stake in the team for 200 million euros in 2023. Â (Production: Conal Quinn)
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