🔗 Share this article

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

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Structure

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

An official representative said: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Increase

This arrangement would represent a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.

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

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

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

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

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