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

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

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

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.