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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of 5%.

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

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise reflects the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports film to date.

Present Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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