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

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

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately five percent.

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

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

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

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

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining this season.

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

Mercedes secured a record eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.