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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding approximately 5%.

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

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, 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 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 since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Current Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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