Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The deal values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of corporate structure in September.
Wolff, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a stake approximately 5%.
Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.
Ownership Structure
Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.
A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."
Financial Growth
The deal signifies a significant increase in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos acquired its stake for £208 million in 2022.
This surge reflects the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.
This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned over $630m (£458 million) at the box office.
The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the highest-earning sports movie to date.
Current Standings
The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races remaining this season.
Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
The team won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.
