Mercedes will announce on Thursday that team principal Ross Brawn will leave the outfit at the end of the year, despite attempts to retain his services until at least 2015.
The 59-year-old has been at the helm of the Mercedes Formula 1 team since it purchased his championship winning outfit, Brawn GP, back in 2009.
However a management reshuffle has seen various new signings, two of the most notable being Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe. The latter had been expected to take over as team principal upon Brawn’s departure, but The F1 Times understands that both Lowe and Wolff will share the position.
Brawn was asked to remain, but Mercedes couldn’t promise him sole control over the running of the team and he has therefore taken the decision to leave, ending months of speculation.
Whilst his future remains unclear, it’s expected that the Briton will take a year out to consider his options, something he did when he left Ferrari, before eventually joining Honda.
Speculation had linked Brawn to a move back to Honda as the Japanese manufacturer gears up for its return as an engine supplier to McLaren in 2015 as well as various positions at Williams and Ferrari.
Whilst some of these may be credible options, it’s not thought that Brawn has actively held discussions with any, though nothing is certain until Brawn himself confirms his next move.
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