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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos Group, 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 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports movie to date.

Current Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races left in the current championship.

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

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