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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal would represent a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in market values 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 featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren, with three races remaining this season.

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

The team won a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.