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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Growth

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

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of the sport 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 more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

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

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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