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

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports movie to date.

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

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

Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.