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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

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

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 around the world.

This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports movie ever released.

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races remaining this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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