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

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

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

An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal would represent a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in market values of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.