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

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent.

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

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

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

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

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

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.