Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
This transaction values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – a record for a Formula 1 squad – after McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of corporate structure last September.
Wolff, who owns a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a stake approximately 5%.
The 53-year-old would stay on as team boss and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.
Shareholder Breakdown
Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.
A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no comment on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."
Valuation Increase
This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in worth of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of Formula 1 outfits recently due to the growing popularity of Formula 1 globally.
This trend was evident with the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned over $630m (£458 million) at cinemas worldwide.
The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the most successful sports film to date.
Current Standings
Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix left this season.
Mercedes' primary racer George Russell has won 2 of the 21 races this year and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
The team won a record eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.
