Ross Brawn retires
Ross Brawn announced in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that he would not be returning to Formula 1 after his departure from Mercedes this summer. He puts an end to the rumors linking him to McLaren.
Ross Brawn is unlikely to be seen in Formula 1 again. The man who contributed to Michael Schumacher’s titles with Benetton and Ferrari, as well as Jenson Button’s with Brawn GP in 2009, had left some doubt about a possible return to the paddock until now.
« I am definitely taking my retirement », admits Ross Brawn, quoted in the Daily Telegraph during a fishing event. « What they didn’t realize when I was invited here is that they had a scoop because the press from around the world was trying to find out if I was retiring or not. I am going to take a sabbatical year to enjoy fishing and then see what life has in store for me. I have no other plans for now. »
Since his departure from Mercedes at the end of last season, the Englishman was rumored to be heading to McLaren, following the departure of team principal Martin Whitmarsh. Honda, which will return as an engine supplier in 2015, was also reportedly interested in him.
Unless there is an improbable return to Formula 1, Brawn is ending over 35 years of career in the automotive world, which began as a mechanic at Williams in 1978. He became the technical director of Benetton in 1992, where he built a reputation as a shrewd strategist, winning two titles with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995. Brawn then won six titles as the technical director of Ferrari (1997-2006) and with the team bearing his name Brawn GP (2009), which was bought from Honda the previous year and sold to Mercedes at the end of 2009.
