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

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

An official representative said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Increase

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

The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned over $630m (£458m) at the box office.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports film ever released.

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

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

Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.