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

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

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

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

The deal would represent a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458m) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports film to date.

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

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

The team won a record eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.