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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 F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the company.

An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Valuation Increase

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

This surge demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned over $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports film ever released.

Present Performance

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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