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

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Ownership Breakdown

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Growth

The deal would represent a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

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

The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports film ever released.

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix left in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes won a record eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.