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

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

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Valuation Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

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

The film represents the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports film ever released.

Current Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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