Toto Wolff is engaged in advanced talks to offload part of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.
This transaction values the Mercedes team at £4.6bn – a record for an F1 team – following McLaren was appraised at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to ownership structure last September.
The Austrian executive, who owns a 33% stake 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.
Shareholder Breakdown
Remaining partners in Mercedes F1 are Mercedes and industrial group Ineos Group, who both hold one-third of the company.
An official representative stated: "We will be making no official statement on the matter. The management structure of Mercedes F1 stays unaltered, and each shareholder are dedicated to the ongoing success of the brand in F1."
Valuation Growth
This arrangement signifies a substantial rise in worth of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its share for £208m in 2022.
The rise reflects the growth in valuations of Formula 1 outfits in the past few years due to the growing popularity of the sport globally.
This was also seen in the box-office performance of the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which debuted in summer 2023 and earned more than $630 million (£458m) at the box office.
It is the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports movie to date.
Present Performance
The Mercedes team are second in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren, with three races remaining this season.
Their lead driver British driver George Russell has secured victory in 2 of the 21 grands prix this year and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
The team secured a unprecedented eight consecutive team titles and seven drivers' titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg, between 2014 to 2021.
