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

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest 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 the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

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

Valuation Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

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

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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