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Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding approximately 5%.

The 53-year-old 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-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

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

The rise reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.

This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and has grossed more than $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Present Standings

Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far 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 secured a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.