Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure last September.
Wolff, who holds one-third of the Mercedes F1 operation, would sell a stake in the region of 5%.
Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer if the sale goes through.
Ownership Breakdown
Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who both hold a third of the enterprise.
An official representative said: "We are providing no official statement on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unchanged, and each shareholder are dedicated to continued achievements of the brand in F1."
Financial Growth
This arrangement would represent a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos bought its share for £208 million in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the expansion in market values of F1 teams recently due to the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.
This was also seen in the success of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which debuted last summer and earned more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.
It is the actor's top-grossing movie and the highest-earning sports movie to date.
Present Standings
The Mercedes team are runner-up in the constructors' championship, trailing McLaren Racing, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.
Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix 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 unprecedented eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.