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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

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

Wolff, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent.

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

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Increase

The deal would represent a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years 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 featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

It is the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports movie to date.

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

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

Mercedes secured a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.