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Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Ownership Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

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

Financial Increase

The deal signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of the sport 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 more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

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

Current Standings

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

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races so far 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 secured a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.