Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell a portion of his ownership stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.
Wolff, who holds one-third of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding approximately five percent.
Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team boss and CEO if the sale goes through.
Ownership Structure
The other shareholders in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold one-third of the enterprise.
An official representative stated: "We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."
Valuation Growth
This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos Group bought its share for £208m in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the expansion in valuations of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world.
This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and earned over $630m (£458m) at cinemas worldwide.
It is Pitt's most successful movie and the most successful sports movie to date.
Current Standings
The Mercedes team are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left this season.
Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes won a unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven driver championships, six for Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.
