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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

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

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately five percent.

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

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who both hold a third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no official statement on this. The management structure of the team will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Their lead driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes won a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.