New F1 team
November 16, 2009
German carmaker Mercedes announced on Monday that they have purchased a controlling share of Formula One champions Brawn GP. The new team will be called Mercedes GP.
Brawn GP, under Ross Brawn, quickly emerged as the sport's top team at the end of the 2008 season, when Brawn took the reins after former owner Honda bowed out.
While Brawn will retain his position at the head of the new team, there is some uncertainty about the future of Jenson Button, the team's top driver and current number one on the F1 circuit.
All signs suggest that Button will land at McLaren next year. Mercedes currently supplies McLaren with motors and owns a 40 percent stake, but McLaren announced in a separate statement that it intends to buy this stake back by 2011.
Early speculation is tipping Germany's Nico Rosberg as the top driver of the new team, along with countryman Nick Heidfeld in the number two spot.
Mercedes is owned by Daimler and has a 45 percent stake in Brawn. Together with Abu Dhabi investment company Aabar, also part of the Daimler ownership group, Mercedes will own just over 75 percent of the team.
mz/dpa/Reuters/AFP
Editor: Kyle James