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Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

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

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

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

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no official statement on this. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Current Standings

Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three races left this season.

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

The team won a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.