Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is engaged in final negotiations to sell a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The deal values Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for an F1 team – following McLaren were valued at £3.5bn in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.
The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake of the Mercedes F1 operation, plans to divest a stake in the region of 5%.
The 53-year-old would stay on as team principal and CEO if the sale goes through.
Ownership Structure
The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos, who each also own one-third of the company.
A Mercedes spokesperson stated: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of the team stays unaltered, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."
Valuation Growth
This arrangement signifies a significant increase in worth of Mercedes F1 after Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.
The rise demonstrates the growth in market values of F1 teams recently as a consequence of the growing popularity of the sport globally.
This was also seen in the success of the F1 movie featuring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, which was released last summer and earned more than $630m (£458m) at the box office.
The film represents Pitt's most successful film and the most successful sports film ever released.
Present Standings
Mercedes are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren Racing, with three races left this season.
Their lead driver George Russell has won two of the 21 grands prix so far and is fourth in the individual standings after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Mercedes won a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, from 2014 and 2021.
