Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.
Wolff, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake in the region of five percent.
Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO should the deal proceed.
Shareholder Breakdown
Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the enterprise.
An official representative said: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."
Valuation Growth
The deal signifies a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.
This surge demonstrates the expansion in valuations of Formula 1 outfits recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world.
This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned more than $630m (£458m) at the box office.
The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports film ever released.
Current Standings
Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season.
Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.
