Ross Brawn Confirms Departure from Mercedes F1

Ross Brawn will leave his position as team principal at Mercedes F1 at the end of 2013, it was announced today.

Brawn, 59, whose future at the Brackley-based squad had been the subject of considerable speculation in recent months, has chosen to hand over the team leadership to executive director (business) Toto Wolff and executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe.

“The most important consideration in my decision to step down from the role as team principal was to ensure that the timing was right for the team in order to ensure its future success,” said Brawn.

“The succession planning process that we have implemented during this year means we are now ready to conduct the transition from my current responsibilities to a new leadership team composed of Toto and Paddy. 

“Mercedes-Benz has invested significantly in both the personnel and infrastructure at Brackley and Brixworth. Thanks to the one-team approach we have implemented between the two facilities, the team is uniquely positioned to succeed in 2014 and I am proud to have helped lay the foundations for that success. 

“However, 2014 will mark the beginning of a new era in the sport. We therefore felt this was the right time to simultaneously begin a new era of team management to ensure that the organisation is in the strongest possible competitive position for the years to come. 

“We can take pride not just in our on-track achievements but also in the organisation we have built at Brackley,” he added. “In its different guises over the past six seasons, this team has delivered some of the most memorable moments of my career. Our second place in this season’s constructors’ championship is an important milestone on the road to championship success. 

“I am confident that the future will hold just as much success for the team and will take real pride in having played my own part in those achievements.”

Niki Lauda, Mercedes’ non-executive chairman, hailed Brawn’s contribution to the team:  “First of all and most importantly, we must say thank you to Ross. When you consider the step that has been made from finishing fifth in 2012 to the second place that we have secured this season, he has been the architect of this success. He put the plans in place to recruit key people since early 2011, and the performance this season shows that the team is on the right track. 

“We have had long discussions with Ross about how he could continue with the team but it is a basic fact that you cannot hold somebody back when they have chosen to move on. Ross has decided that this is the right time to hand over the reins to Toto and Paddy and we respect his decision.”

Brawn won multiple world titles with Benetton and Ferrari before becoming team principal at the then Honda team in late 2007. When the Japanese manufacturer pulled out of Formula One racing at the end of 2008, Brawn acquired a large share of the team, which was renamed Brawn GP. The squad scored a famous double in 2009, winning the drivers’ championship with Jenson Button and seeing off Red Bull in the race for the constructors’ title.

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