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

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

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Breakdown

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

An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Current Performance

Mercedes are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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