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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

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

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

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

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

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the growth in market values of F1 teams in the past few years due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

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

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season.

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

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