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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We are providing no comment on this. The management structure of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its stake 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 increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and earned over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports film to date.

Current Performance

Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.