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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own a third of the enterprise.

An official representative said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of the team stays unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Increase

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Current Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left in the current championship.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races 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 won a record eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.