Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The deal values Mercedes at £4.6 billion – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – after the McLaren team was appraised at £3.5 billion in a change of ownership structure last September.
Wolff, who holds a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a shareholding in the region of five percent.
The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.
Ownership Structure
Remaining partners in the team are Mercedes-Benz and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own a third of the company.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We will be making no comment on the matter. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in Formula One."
Financial Increase
This arrangement would represent a significant increase in value of the Mercedes team since Ineos acquired its stake for £208m in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the growing popularity of the sport around the world.
This trend was evident with the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and has grossed more than $630m (£458 million) at the box office.
It is Pitt's most successful movie and the highest-earning sports film ever released.
Present Standings
Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three races left in the current championship.
Mercedes' primary racer British driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is fourth in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
The team won a record eight straight team titles and seven driver championships, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.
