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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of five percent.

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

Shareholder Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Valuation Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining this season.

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

The team won a record eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.