Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.
This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.
The Austrian executive, who holds one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake in the region of five percent.
Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.
Ownership Structure
The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.
An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."
Financial Growth
The deal would represent a significant increase in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.
The rise reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the growing popularity of the sport globally.
This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.
It is Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports film to date.
Present Performance
Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.
Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races 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 consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.
