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

The deal values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

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

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at the box office.

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

Present Standings

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

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.