Brawn: « selling to Mercedes will make the team stronger »

Ross Brawn, during an interview with The Independent, sought to reassure about the future of his team, which has just been acquired by Mercedes-Benz. The Englishman admitted to making this choice to secure the team’s future, which can only be better with the support of an entire group rather than just one individual.

Mercedes announced last Monday the acquisition of a large part of the capital of Brawn GP. With this operation, the German group will fully lead the former Honda Formula 1 team, which was symbolically sold to Ross Brawn for a Dollar at the beginning of 2009. BGP will therefore change its name in 2010 to become Mercedes Grand Prix, while Ross Brawn will remain the team’s director. Mercedes intervened solely for brand image and to secure the team’s performance.

Ross Brawn preferred to accept the offer from a manufacturer to secure the team’s future and be less involved: « There comes a time when as a team owner you want to pass the baton, » Brawn commented to the English newspaper The Independent. « I’m almost 55 and I haven’t planned to become a ‘Bernie’ [Ecclestone]. »

« In 2010, we will have to try to replicate the achievements of 2009, but there’s a lot of risk of performing worse… We were already working with Mercedes engine manufacturers. Therefore, it’s an opportunity to secure the team’s future even if in 2010 the results are less favorable than expected. »

So the name Brawn GP will disappear into the archives of Formula 1. The team will be called Mercedes GP in 2010, but the Briton sees only positives: « As I mentioned to the staff, it’s sad to see a team exist for only one season, but what a year! We accomplished huge things, and the decision to sell was difficult, but now we are part of one of the most prestigious car brands in the world. »

This acquisition of Brawn GP by Mercedes may cast some doubts on Ross Brawn’s honesty. It was Honda that had handed over the team to him at the end of 2008 following its withdrawal. An agreement had been made between the Japanese group and the team director to avoid laying off all the staff. Ross Brawn defends himself against having taken advantage of Honda and had never planned the takeover of BGP by Mercedes.

« We didn’t know – when we took over the team with Nick Fry – whether we would continue in F1 for long or not. We weren’t very confident, but we didn’t want to lay off hundreds of people… And then, I didn’t want to stop in that manner. The year 2008 with Honda was the worst of my 15 years in Formula 1, and I didn’t want to end my career with that feeling of frustration. Especially because I knew we had a 2009 car with potential! »

Ross Brawn, Nick Fry, and other members of the Mercedes GP team still hold about 25% of the team’s capital.