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Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

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

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding approximately five percent.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own one-third of the company.

An official representative stated: "We are providing no official statement on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.

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

It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports movie to date.

Present Performance

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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