Mercedes boss flexes muscles
A SIMPLE text message was all that Lewis Hamilton needed for reassurance that the man he had signed up to work with was still there.
The words were not quite ‘‘I’m in charge’’, but they may as well have been as Ross Brawn, the most successful backroom figure in Formula One this century, flexed his muscles and let his Mercedes team know who was calling the shots.
Hamilton was understandably perplexed as rumours poured out of Germany that the skids were under Brawn, winner of half the constructors’ championships since 2000 with Ferrari and his own Brawn GP team.
Toto Wolff, an Austrian entrepreneur with links to Niki Lauda, the three-times world champion and new Mercedes non-executive chairman, had been presented as an executive director and shareholder at the team and appeared to have taken it on himself to hire Paddy Lowe, the McLaren technical director.
Any attempt to impose his new acquisition at Mercedes has clearly been seen off the premises by Brawn. Whether that means Brawn has a ‘‘no sacking’’ clause in his contract is not known, but he made it clear on Friday that he will choose the timing of his departure.
‘‘ I am the team principal in charge of sporting, technical and racing matters,’’ Brawn said. ‘‘I hope to be team principal for some time. Everyone knows that the only way a racing team will work is to have one reference and I am that reference.
‘‘I am planning to be here very long time.’’
As management shambles go, this was a world championship contender from Lauda and Wolff, more worrying for the fact that Lowe has been left in the lurch.
He seems no more than a ‘‘fallback position’’ for Mercedes if Brawn decided to leave and is likely to find a cool reception at McLaren headquarters after his behind-the-scenes manoeuvring. Lowe is due to appear at McLaren’s official launch of their 2013 car next week. He will face questions over his future.
As speculation reached fever pitch, Hamilton went straight to his phone to contact the man he believes could mentor him to a second World Championship title or more, given Brawn’s extraordinary track record, after leaving McLaren. There was no hesitation from Brawn and a full- hearted endorsement from Hamilton, who says he has already struck up a ‘‘ good, open relationship’’ with his new boss.
There was also no doubt that Hamilton has arrived at Mercedes to work with the man who helped to bring Michael Schumacher seven World Championships and not Lowe, the man he left behind at McLaren.
‘‘We need a figurehead in the team and Ross has assured me he is here to stay,’’ Hamilton said. ‘‘I have been assured that Paddy is not coming here. Ross has had a great career and runs a great team.’’
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