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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the enterprise.

An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Valuation Increase

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned over $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports film ever released.

Present Standings

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

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.