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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

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

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of 5%.

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

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

An official representative said: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Standings

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

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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