Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
This transaction estimates the Mercedes team at £4.6 billion – a record for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5bn in a change of corporate structure in September.
The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, plans to divest a shareholding approximately 5%.
Wolff, aged 53 will remain as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.
Shareholder Structure
Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos Group, who each also own a third of the enterprise.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no official statement on this. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."
Financial Growth
This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.
The rise reflects the growth in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport around the world.
This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed over $630 million (£458 million) at the box office.
The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports film ever released.
Current Performance
The Mercedes team are runner-up in the team standings, behind McLaren, with three races remaining this season.
Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 races so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship behind McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes won a record eight consecutive team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.
