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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

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

Financial Increase

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

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned over $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races remaining this season.

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

The team won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.