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

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

Wolff, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Ownership Structure

Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the enterprise.

An official representative stated: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The management structure of the team stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Valuation Increase

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

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

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