Brawn GP becomes Mercedes-Benz GP

[Monseratto]

I guess the Germans aren't too happy with the way things were ran at Mclaren w/ one scandal leading to another...Mclaren will no longer be a works team but a customer team.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed its buyout of the Champion Brawn GP team on Monday. Following an announcement from the German manufacturer, Nico Rosberg is likely to be the lead driver with Champion Jenson Button now strongly tipped for a move to McLaren alongside compatriot Lewis Hamilton.

With a Mercedes press conference having been staged in German capital Berlin early on Monday afternoon, the manufacturer explained its takeover of the ex-Honda outfit, with Ross Brawn remaining as Team Principal. He and Chief Executive Nick Fry will hold a 24.9% stake in the Brackley outfit with Mercedes and Abu Dhabi company Aabar Investments, a shareholder of the manufacturer, taking the remaining 75.1%.

"Brawn GP has been through an incredible journey over the last 12 months," Ross Brawn commented. "From fighting for our survival to forging a strong relationship with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, winning both the Constructors' and Drivers' World Championships, and now accepting Daimler (Mercedes owner) and Aabar's offer to buy our team, which will secure its future."

As Mercedes returns as a team in its own right for the first time since 1955, it has also been confirmed that its long-standing engine partnership with McLaren will continue until at least the end of 2015, although the Woking squad is no longer the Mercedes works outfit.

"This is a win-win situation, for both McLaren and Daimler (owner of Mercedes)," commented Ron Dennis, the Executive Chairman of McLaren Automotive. "I've often stated that it's my belief that, in order to survive and thrive in 21st-century Formula One, a team must become much more than merely a team. That being the case, in order to develop and sustain the revenue streams required to compete and win Grands Prix and World Championships, companies that run Formula One teams must broaden the scope of their commercial activities."

"Nonetheless, all of our partners will of course continue to play a crucial role in our Formula One programme. For that reason, and because the engines they produce are very competitive, we're delighted that Mercedes-Benz has committed to continue not only as an engine supplier but also as a partner of ours until 2015 - and perhaps thereafter."

As a result, Nico Rosberg and Nick Heidfeld are now expected to make an all-German line-up at the newly-named Mercedes-Benz GP, with Jenson Button joining Hamilton in what would be an all-British Champion affair at McLaren.

[CVT]

Suwerte naman nitong sina NR at NH.....

All-German?... Puwede ring si MS....

8909:painting:

[Monseratto]

Yung problem ngayon is which team will Kimi end up now. Mukhang sabbatical siya next year. If he can't find a team who will accept his 20 million fee after that, end of career na siya.

[overdrayv]

^ there is always WRC.

With Raikkonen only interested in returning to F1 in a race-winning car, his best option for 2011 would appear to lie with Red Bull Racing - which has a theoretical vacancy for 2011 with Mark Webber currently only contracted until the end of next year.

Although it is not clear what Raikkonen will do next year, it is possible that he will focus his efforts on the World Rally Championship – while he sorts out an F1 return. Red Bull could be involved in his rally plans too.

Autosport.com

[Monseratto]

All work and no play make Kimi a dull boy...

AUTOSPORT understands that there were several stumbling blocks to a deal being completed with McLaren prior to the team finding out that Button was available and interested.

As well as a difference of opinion about wages, Raikkonen and McLaren were believed to not be in agreement about the number of sponsorship appearance days he should do, or about how free he was to do rallies.

[4agze]

new chassis on the test track, love the new look