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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Performance

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

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

The team won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.