MERCEDES F1 OWNERSHIP UPDATE AFTER W16 REVEAL FUELS RUMOURS

After a scaling back of INEOS branding on the Mercedes W16 only further fuelled speculation of a shareholder change, the team has denied that any such development is coming.

PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher understands that commercial reasons are behind this move, while Sky F1’s Craig Slater, speaking at the F1 75 season launch event, also revealed the information he has been given by Mercedes on the situation.

Mercedes F1 not plotting IENOS buyout

The Mercedes F1 team has three one-third owners, those being Mercedes’ parent organisation Daimler, team boss Toto Wolff and INEOS, headed by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. However, rumours had emerged about a desire for change.

A report in The Telegraph had claimed that Mercedes were looking to buy the firm out of its stake in the team, at a time of major change in INEOS’ sporting portfolio, after the termination of their alliance with the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, while British sailing icon Sir Ben Ainslie was left enraged after INEOS split with him for the 38th America’s Cup.

Legal action is underway regarding both developments, while the publication reports that INEOS are also negotiating an early end to their sponsorship of Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.

Meanwhile, as all 10 Formula 1 teams descended on London’s 02 for the F1 75 season launch event – where every livery on the grid was revealed – it was quickly noted that the INEOS references had been significantly toned down on the Mercedes W16 compared to its predecessor.

INEOS branding on the side of the airbox has been ditched, the same true on the back of the rear wing. An INEOS logo, minus the red surround, does appear on the inside of the front wing endplate.

However, Mercedes clarified that the report is wide of the mark.

‘Reduced INEOS branding on the Mercedes but nothing to it say the team,’ Maher writes. ‘In their interests as shareholders, the team seeks to commercialise the space with other brands… rear wing at the back now reads Crowdstrike with “more to come”.’

Slater would also address the speculation ahead of the event getting underway, confirming he had heard from Mercedes to expect less INEOS on the W16, but the talk of a buyout was not accurate.

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Slater began: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the boss of INEOS, who people will have learned in recent weeks is having to make cutbacks in terms of the sports enterprises he has been supporting.

“He is in litigation at the moment with New Zealand rugby. Sir Ben Ainslie, who was spearheading his Americas Cup challenge, is also taking him to court potentially.

“But what about Mercedes the Formula 1 team itself? Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a one-third owner of that F1 team, and there was a story in The Telegraph that Daimler-Benz were looking at arranging some funds to buy Ratcliffe out of his ownership, because perhaps he was not able to support the team via sponsorship, as he has done in previous years.

“Well, I’ve been in touch with Mercedes about this, and they assure me there is no truth in that story. There have been no discussions at any point of a shareholder change, and sponsorship with INEOS is ongoing and stable. That’s what the team are telling me.

“But, potentially expect that INEOS sponsorship to be less prominent on the car when it comes out from under wraps.”

Mercedes has a new driver line-up for F1 2025, George Russell taking over as lead driver after seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton’s departure for Ferrari, with the team naming their 18-year-old sensation Kimi Antonelli as Hamilton’s replacement.

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2025-02-19T13:51:08Z