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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

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

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

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the enterprise.

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

Valuation Growth

The deal signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge 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 trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned over $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports film to date.

Present Performance

Mercedes are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.