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

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Structure

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

An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams 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 starring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Current Standings

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

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

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