Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.
This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure in September.
The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of five percent.
The 53-year-old will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.
Ownership Structure
Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the enterprise.
An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on this. The governance of the team stays unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in F1."
Valuation Growth
This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of the Mercedes team after Ineos Group bought its share for £208 million in 2022.
This surge demonstrates the growth in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the increasing appeal of the sport globally.
This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed over $630 million (£458m) at the box office.
The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports film ever released.
Present Performance
The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three Grands Prix left this season.
Their lead driver British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the individual standings behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes secured a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.
