Mercedes: We Don't Want To Be All German

Mercedes, the newly-confirmed owners of the Brawn team that will now be renamed Mercedes GP, have insisted that they do not want an all-German driver line-up for the 2010 season and are committed to forging an 'international team'.

In their first media inquisition since the announcement that the motoring giants had bought a controlling interest in Brawn, Mercedes quashed claims that they are intent on ditching Jenson Button so that Nico Rosberg can be partnered by a fellow German such as Nick Heidfeld or Timo Glock. The assurance may also offer Kimi Raikkonen, no stranger to Mercedes after his stint with McLaren, a F1 lifeline if Button still leaves the team.

"This will be an international team for Mercedes-Benz is a global player. If you look back in our history we have very often been criticised for not having a German driver, so we were always open and we took the driver decision always together with McLaren. This will be the same in the future. We want to have the best ones and we definitely do not want to have the pure German team - it's an international Silver Arrows team and we want to have the best drivers in the car," Norbert Haug, in charge of 'co-ordinating' the new-look team, insisted to Autosport.

Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler, the company that owns Mercedes, added: "What we would like to see is the best drivers in the two seats. We certainly would not be opposed if one of them was German but that is not a prerequisite."

Of perhaps critical significance, Zetsch also clarified that Ross Brawn, who will retain his position as team principal, will continue to be in charge of driver negotiations.

Asked specifically if Mercedes will take charge of talks, Zetsch replied: "No. It's very similar to what we used to have in our partnership before. Very clearly, Ross Brawn is the team principal he runs the team together with his management team. It would not be smart of us to dictate to him anything like a driver decision

Zetsch also revealed that, although the team are "working diligently" on the "topic" of their driver line-up, "no final decision" has been made. According to Haug, it may still be "weeks" before an announcement is made.

McLaren and Mercedes extended its contract to supplying engines

Mercedes confirming a majority stake in the Brawn team on Monday, the German engine manufacturer has also extended its contract to continue supplying engines to McLaren for at least the next six seasons.

From 2010 onwards, McLaren will no longer be the works team of Mercedes although the Woking squad - which is expected to have a line-up of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton next year - will carry on the partnership which began in 1995.

"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."

Dennis added that upcoming years promise to be 'a very exciting time for McLaren'; with Nico Rosberg and Nick Heidfeld expected to be confirmed as an all-German line-up for Mercedes-Benz GP, formerly Brawn GP, the Woking team is now likely to welcome Champion Jenson Button alongside predecessor Lewis Hamilton.

McLaren plans to place Nick Heidfeld for next season

Norbert Haug has confirmed that talks with Nick Heidfeld about a seat for next season are taking place.

It has been reported that, despite Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button visiting McLaren's Woking headquarters in recent days, the 32-year-old German is also in the running to take Heikki Kovalainen's place.

"We are speaking with Nick Heidfeld as well," Haug, Mercedes' competition director, told DPA.

"Mercedes-Benz supports the idea of signing an experienced and capable German driver. There is however no reason to finalise the driver situation too hastily."

It is also rumoured that Mercedes may be interested in assigning Heidfeld to Brawn, amid expectations a major collaboration is to be announced this week.


Heidfeld wrote on his official website that he is not worried about his future after not being able to achieve high profile results with BMW Sauber in 2009.

"Fortunately, the people who run the teams can see beyond that," he said. "So all in all, I'm quite optimistic about the future."

Nico Rosberg is understood to have already inked a contract for 2010, raising suggestions that Jenson Button is being pushed out by Brawn in favour of a German 'super team'.

Source: GMM
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