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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in a change of corporate structure last September.

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

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

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal would represent a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present 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 in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.