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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure last September.

Wolff, who holds one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake approximately five percent.

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

Shareholder Structure

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the expansion in valuations 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 F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Performance

Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a record eight straight team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.