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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn 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 approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the company.

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

Valuation Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports film ever released.

Current Performance

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

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

Mercedes won a record eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.