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

The deal values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of 5%.

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

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races remaining this season.

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

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