Mercedes to take over Brawn

• Mercedes to end its partnership with McLaren• Move could lead to Jenson Button joining McLarenMercedes-Benz today announced it was taking over the Brawn GP Formula One team while ending its partnership with McLaren.Mercedes engines powered Brawn's Jenson Button to the world championship in the recently completed season while the team also claimed the constructors' championship.They will now increase their involvement while Button has been strongly linked with a move to McLaren to team up with his fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton.Mercedes have taken a 75.1% controlling interest in Brawn, although they will continue to be the engine supplier to McLaren.The team principal, Ross Brawn, is expected to remain in his role but the future of his drivers is more uncertain.Button was recently shown around McLaren's Woking premises after reaching an impasse in his contract negotiations with Brawn.The 29-year-old had turned down a reported £4m contract offer – which represented a £1m rise on his current deal but was less than half of what he had earned with Brawn's forerunner, Honda.Button was widely lauded for accepting a £5m pay cut at the start of the 2009 season and expected his loyalty to have been rewarded after leading Brawn to two titles in their debut season.But Mercedes's new influence at Brawn could lead to the German-born Niko Rosberg being installed as lead driver, with BMW's Nick Heidfeld as his likely partner – allowing Button to pursue options elsewhere.That is most likely to be at McLaren, with the constructor's sponsors Vodafone happy to bankroll at least part of Button's wages if he were to form an all-English drivers' line-up alongside the 2008 champion, Hamilton.Yesterday the Mercedes Sports president, Norbert Haug, revealed he was attempting to secure Heidfeld, who has driven for BMW since 2006. "We are speaking with Nick Heidfeld as well," Haug told DPA. "Mercedes-Benz supports the idea of signing an experienced and capable German driver. There is, however, no reason to finalise the driver situation too hastily."BrawnMcLarenJenson ButtonFormula OneMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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