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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion 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 – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

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

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own 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 all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports film to date.

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

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

Mercedes won a record eight straight team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.