Posted by Don’t be alarmed folks, the Brawn GP team are not leaving Formula 1. In 2008 they were called ‘Honda’, this year they were ‘Brawn GP’, and from 2010 they will be… Mercedes GP! The German manufacturer has confirmed that it will be buying a 75% stake in the championship-winning team, and at the same time giving up their current 40% stake in McLaren. It’s rather embarassing for McLaren really. When Honda pulled out of Formula 1 McLaren kindly allowed Mercedes to supply Brawn GP as well. With such a reliable and powerful Mercedes engine Brawn GP went on to win both championship titles while McLaren was forced to play catch-up all season.
A winning move for Brawn GP?
So why the switch? The brand exposure that comes with having a team in your name is huge. Instead of simply being a tag-along name, ‘McLaren Mercedes’, the manufacturer will at last be able to fully step out of the shadows and join its manufacturer friends at Renault and Ferrari. With dwindling numbers of manufacturers in F1 it also sends out an important message that they are still a force to be reckoned with. Mercedes were also being hurt by McLaren’s new ventures into the sports car market, headed up by the ‘disgraced’ Ron Dennis. The competition between the two companies off the Formula 1 track undoubtedly led Mercedes to start courting Brawn in the first place. It’s also a bit of a bargain for Mercedes. We don’t know the figures, but you can bet it’ll be massively cheaper to be involved with a small team like Brawn rather than the beast that is McLaren.
The effects may not appear to be major. It’s just a change of name, right? This news may result in Button’s switch to McLaren for 2010, as a sort of consolation prize to McLaren for losing their biggest partner in the sport. Ross Brawn doesn’t seem to be terribly fussed about keeping Button, and the longer they go without reaching agreement the more likely it will be that he’ll want to head elsewhere for a fresh start. McLaren, with all their resources, would be a good move for Jenson, despite probably having to play second fiddle to Hamilton. Although clearly the safer bet will be to stay with the team, and especially now given the backing of Mercedes.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel sorry for McLaren? And is this the right decision by Mercedes?
This is an excellent opportunity for both teams really. Mercedes to become an all-German team (hopefully by giving Heidfeld a seat), and McLaren becoming the plucky Brit’s for one season before Jenson’s totally demoralised by Hamilton’s raw pace.
Raikkonen might do a Hakkinen in the sense of announcing he’s taking a year off, then will test again this time next year and decide he doesn’t want to do it anymore and thereby have a dignified exit from F1.
That’s not my perfect scenario, i still would like to see Kimi alongside Lewis in a McLaren with my second choice being Heidfeld. It could still turn out that the new world champion bargains too hard and is left without a seat in a top team.
There’s still free seats at Renault and Force India, Jenson…