Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell part of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
This transaction estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.
Wolff, who owns one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding approximately five percent.
Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.
Shareholder Structure
The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who both hold a third of the company.
An official representative said: "We are providing no official statement on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One."
Valuation Growth
This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.
The rise reflects the growth in market values of F1 teams recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.
This trend was evident with the success of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and earned over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.
The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports film ever released.
Current Performance
Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left in the current championship.
Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.
