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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.

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

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

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

Financial Growth

The deal would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

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

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

Present Performance

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

Their lead driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team won a unprecedented eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.