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

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

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

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

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of the team stays unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.