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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no official statement on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

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

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports movie to date.

Present Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.