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 £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.
The Austrian executive, who owns one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake approximately 5%.
Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.
Shareholder Structure
Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and industrial group Ineos, who both hold one-third of the company.
An official representative stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The management structure of the team will remain unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."
Financial Growth
This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.
This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned over $630 million (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.
The film represents Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports film to date.
Current Performance
Mercedes are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.
Their lead driver George Russell has secured victory in two of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.
