Brawn Bought by Mercedes Leaves Button’s Future Uncertain
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F1 team Brawn have been acquired by Mercedes, in the creation of an all new Team Germany, British driver Jenson Button could be ousted.
Mercedes has gone ahead as expected and completed a deal to buy Brawn GP for an anticipated £500 million ($836 million).
Mercedes will take a 75 per cent ownership of Brawn, with the remaining 25 per cent being acquired by an investment firm in Abu Dhabi. As part of the deal, Mercedes will relinquish their 40 per cent stake in British based McLaren to focus exclusively on the new team which will be named Mercedes Grand Prix.
Speaking to the BBC, Ross Brawn said: “Brawn GP has been through an incredible journey over the last 12 months. From fighting for our survival to forging a strong relationship with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, winning both the constructors’ and drivers’ world championships, and now accepting Daimler and Aabar’s offer to buy our team, which will secure its future.”
Mercedes are now set to completely polarise F1 as they bring together talent and resources to complete what is already being called “Team Germany”. The new owners have already lined up German hot shot Nico Rosberg to lead Mercedes Grand Prix, with Nick Heidfeld also in negotiations to join the team.
All of which leaves British driver, oh and by the way current World Formula One Champion Jenson Button a little out in the cold. Button has so far been frozen out of the Mercedes talks, particularly since he raised questions over the prospect of a salary increase.
Button reportedly took a huge paycut to drive for Brawn this year rather than face a year with no racing at all when Honda pulled out of the competition. Despite earning £3.5 million a year, Button has demanded more from Brawn, but even the accolade of F1 champion hasn’t been enough to steer his salary north.
If Mercedes do renounce all British assets, both their stake in McLaren and Button, then the logical move for Jenson would surely be a move to McLaren to be a part of a Great (capital G) British Team.
Speculation that such a move could be on the cards was further fuelled on Friday when Button took a visit to McLaren’s technology centre in Woking. Alongside Lewis Hamilton, Button could forge a British Dream Team with McLaren the likes of which have never been seen before.
Do you think Button will go to McLaren? Can Brawn afford to lose their Championship winning driver? Let us know your thoughts with a comment below.
UPDATE – Button Joins McLaren
The BBC announced this morning (18 November) that Jenson Button has indeed joined Lewis Hamilton at McLaren to form a new all British partnership. Read the details here.
Button will definitely go to McLaren coz he has nowhere else to go.