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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

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

An official representative said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

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

The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal 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 more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports movie to date.

Current Performance

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

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

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