Ross Brawn denies F1 comeback for now
The British engineer Ross Brawn, who led Ferrari to victory in his day, has been the subject of much attention in recent weeks, with the release of his book revealing what was going on behind the scenes during his gentle ousting from Mercedes, and rumors of a possible return to F1, but probably not in the place one might have imagined.
Ross Brawn, one of the distinguished engineers of modern F1 and former team principal of Mercedes, made his return to the media scene a few weeks ago with revelations about his relationships with Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda before being dismissed from the leadership of the German team. Since then, rumors have been flying, as Brawn stated last week that he wants to return to the world of sports after leaving it in 2013.
Ross Brawn shared his thoughts in an interview with BBC Sport on this subject. For the moment, the Englishman has not accepted any proposals, even though he acknowledges advising the new F1 owners, Liberty Media: « I do a bit of advising to help them better understand F1, but that’s all. » concedes Ross Brawn.
He continues by acknowledging that the company may not necessarily be ready to make job offers: « Liberty is not yet advanced enough in the process to make commitments. »
Indeed, some international media, like Bild Auto, had reported that Ross Brawn had signed an agreement with Liberty, involving him in the sporting and commercial aspects of F1.
According to the main person concerned, everything will depend on what Bernie Ecclestone, the CEO of the F1 group, will do in the future. The latter did not hesitate to respond to this topic, granting an interview to Autosport.
The Formula 1’s chief financial officer believes that Ross Brawn would be completely legitimate in a role within the FIA but not with Liberty Media: « I would be delighted if he went to the FIA, he would be absolutely first class. »
He continues, true to his legendary flair: « I haven’t spoken to him for a while. I have no idea what he might be doing. But nothing with us. We don’t need an engineer or someone like Ross Brawn. »
It’s safe to say that as long as Bernie Ecclestone remains in control, the chances of seeing Ross Brawn or someone else at the head of Formula 1 management are slim, unless Liberty Media decides otherwise in the coming months. For the moment, Ecclestone has been retained in his role—for a three-year contract according to him but not officially confirmed by Liberty—under the new chairman Chase Carey.
