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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.

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We are providing no official statement on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Valuation Increase

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull'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.