• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
FinanceTransportation
Europe

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff and Manchester United bidder Jim Ratcliffe share $92 million payout even as team’s ad value tumbles

Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 11, 2023, 7:15 AM ET
Mercedes-AMG Petronas finished third in 2022 with its new pairing of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas finished third in 2022 with its new pairing of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Peter J Fox—Getty Images

Mercedes Benz’s billionaire F1 chief Toto Wolff and fellow billionaire Man Utd bidder Jim Ratcliffe will take big cuts of the F1 team’s £75 million ($92 million) dividend, despite the team’s waning on-track performance severely hurting the value of its TV coverage.

Recommended Video

In an annual financial report filed Monday, Mercedes Benz-AMG Petronas’s chief Wolff said it had confirmed the dividend to its shareholders in March. It represents a steep rise on a £55 million ($67.5 million) dividend paid out in 2022.

For years Mercedes, led by Wolff—who is also a director at the F1 team—dominated the F1 track.

The team won eight constructors’ championships in a row between 2014 and 2021, while its main driver Lewis Hamilton won the drivers’ world championship six times in that period.

But their fortunes have shifted since a pivotal race in 2021, where Red Bull driver Max Verstappen took the championship on the final lap of the season’s last race in highly controversial circumstances. Verstappen and Red Bull have gone on to dominate the circuit in the seasons since.

Falling TV coverage hits advertising

While 2022 was a less fortunate year on the track, with the team finishing third and Hamilton placing sixth, Mercedes Benz-AMG Petronas delivered a solid financial performance off it.

The group increased revenues by 24% to nearly £474.6 million ($583 million), while profits jumped more than 30% to £89.7 million ($110 million). 

However, Mercedes’ waning fortunes in 2022 meant it gave up vital TV coverage as media attention turned to a new rivalry between Red Bull and Ferrari. 

Mercedes Benz-AMG Petronas received a 15% share of F1 TV coverage in 2022, a significant drop from 23.6% during its white-knuckle 2021 season, according to its previous financial report. This dip reduced the team’s Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) by £654 million ($803 million) to £5.8 billion ($7.2 billion).

AVE isn’t a tangible financial measure but instead seeks to quantify how much it might cost to buy ads in a similar context for TV. A drop in value could hurt Mercedes’ future appeal to sponsors and accordingly future revenues.

The team didn’t immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment on how falling advertisement value might affect future turnover.

Instead, Wolff attributed its improved financial performance to the wider commercial growth of F1, which has had something of a renaissance since the Netflix series Drive to Survive premiered in 2019. Its Applied Science division and sponsorships also drove revenue, Wolff said.

Ratcliffe’s petrochemical firm INEOS, which also owns a cycling team and French soccer club OSG Nice, is a one-third owner in Mercedes alongside Wolff and Mercedes Benz-AG.

The INEOS founder is in the middle of a lengthy bidding war with Sheikh Jassim’s Qatari group to take over Manchester United Football Club from the Glazer family.

Mercedes’ Hamilton was briefly linked with the bid as part of a Ratcliffe-led consortium; however, the Independent reported in February that this was not yet the case.

“I hope in the future to do something with Jim and build with him. I don’t know when that will be or what that will be,” Hamilton told the paper.

“But I do want to get more and more involved in teams because I really do believe in Black ownership and Black equity, because there is a real lack of that in sport.”

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
About the Author
Ryan Hogg
By Ryan HoggEurope News Reporter

Ryan Hogg was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Europe is considering price caps to control inflation. CEOs are shaking their heads in despair
EconomyLetter from London
Europe is considering price caps to control inflation. CEOs are shaking their heads in despair
By Kamal AhmedMay 21, 2026
1 minute ago
microsoft
AIProductivity
America’s new AI map shows something surprising: ‘A lot of normal people are adopting AI’
By Nick LichtenbergMay 21, 2026
31 minutes ago
Girl doing backflip into the ocean.
Travel & LeisureAir Travel
Your ‘flexible hot girl summer’ is going to cost you
By Catherina GioinoMay 21, 2026
1 hour ago
Mortgage rates today, May 21, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, May 21, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 21, 2026
3 hours ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for May 21, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for May 21, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 21, 2026
3 hours ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for May 21, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for May 21, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 21, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
19 hours ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
4 days ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
9 days ago
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
Workplace Culture
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 20, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.