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

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding in the region of five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports film to date.

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

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

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.