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Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned more than $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

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

Present Performance

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

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far 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 record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 to 2021.