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

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

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

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

Valuation Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

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

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports film to date.

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining this season.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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