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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell part 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 £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on this. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Increase

The deal would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released 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 runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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