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

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the company.

An official representative said: "We are providing no comment on this. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left this season.

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

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