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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Current Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes won a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.