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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 £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no official statement on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

The deal would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at the box office.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports film ever released.

Current Performance

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.