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

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of five percent.

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

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in market values of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Performance

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

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

The team won a record eight straight team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.