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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to ownership structure in September.

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

Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and CEO should the deal proceed.

Shareholder Breakdown

Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."

Financial Growth

The deal signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of F1 teams 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 F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.

The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports movie ever released.

Current Performance

Mercedes are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races left in the current championship.

Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The team secured a record eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.