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

This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding approximately five percent.

The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.

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

Valuation Growth

The deal signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

It is Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports film ever released.

Current Standings

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

Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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