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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.

Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding approximately 5%.

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

Shareholder Structure

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Growth

The deal would represent a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022.

The rise reflects the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

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

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

Present Standings

The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races remaining in the current championship.

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

Mercedes won a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.