Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The deal estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of ownership structure in September.
Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a shareholding approximately 5%.
Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.
Ownership Breakdown
The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the company.
An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of the brand in Formula One."
Financial Increase
This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 after Ineos Group bought its share for £208 million in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport globally.
This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and has grossed over $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.
It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the most successful sports film to date.
Current Standings
Mercedes are runner-up in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three races left in the current championship.
Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.
