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Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of five percent.

The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.

An official representative said: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The governance of the team stays unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."

Financial Increase

This arrangement would represent a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos Group acquired its share for £208m in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

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

The film represents the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports movie to date.

Present Standings

Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.

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

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