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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Growth

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and earned over $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports movie to date.

Current Performance

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

Their lead driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.