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

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Increase

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

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

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

Current Standings

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

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

The team won a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.