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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 the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake 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

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Increase

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and earned over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

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

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

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