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

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own a 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 fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal would represent a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned over $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports movie to date.

Current Standings

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

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team won a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.