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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after McLaren were valued 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 boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.

Shareholder Structure

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own a third of the enterprise.

An official representative stated: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Growth

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208 million in 2022.

This surge demonstrates the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned over $630m (£458 million) at the box office.

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

Present Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining this season.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races so far and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.