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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Increase

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

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at the box office.

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

Current Performance

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes won a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.