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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.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following 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 shareholding in the region of 5%.

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

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Current Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won two of the 21 races this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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