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

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Financial Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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