Some… confusion on the brain of Matt W right now.?
…all thanks to an article in the ‘Daily Mail’. Here we go;
‘Brawn are stalling on dounling his (Jenson) salary from £3m to £6m because they cannot afford it. Mercedes, who are looking to buy a 75 per cent share in Brawn and renaming the team in their own image, might yet resolve the team’s cash problems and resign Button on the improved terms he legitimately feels entitled to as world champion. That is the most likely outcome’
OK, we get that. But up next comes the bit that really puzzles me;
‘Meanwhile, Mclaren are toutng themselves as an alternative. It would mean Button partnering Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes must find a way to extricate themselves from the 40 per cent stake in McLaren before moving in with Brawn. It is understood that that the divorcing couple will finally come to an agreement involving Mercedes providing engines to McLaren’
WHAT? I’m guessing that this is either is one of or a mix of these two;
Mercedes is only allowed to have a stake in one team?
Mercedes basically wants a team that is their own, and are doing what BMW did with Peter Sauber.
But why sell a stake in a team that will continue to do brilliantly, to buy a stake in a team that will need so much investment?
And is this just more Daily Mail made up BS, as I haven’t seen anything about this on other sites. And when the BBC commentators speak of Mercedes buying into Brawn, they dont mention the abondonment of McLaren :S
Aah, clever and modest Allan 
You’re right thought. I just hope that they don’t make the same mistake as BMW and go for a majority share at the wrong time.
OK here’s my thoughts on the McLaren, Brawn, Mercedes thing….
Mercedes want an F1 team, not just a minor share in one, the 40% stake they have in McLaren will never be allowed to grow to a majority stake, because McLaren are an established team and they wont allow the McLaren brand to be dissolved.
Brawn on the other hand are a new outfit, they have potential but the Brawn GP brand is not exactly a stalwart within motoring circles.
So buying out McLaren would be…A. very expensive or B. probably impossible. But buying out Brawn would be …A. much cheaper, and B. Much more realistic.
Also (and I don’t want to bring up bad memories for you here buddy) the reputation that McLaren have had in F1 over recent years is something Mercedes is not happy about, the lying at Australia and Stepney Gate are things that threaten the squeaky clean Merc Image and they don’t like it. It was Mercedes that forked out the $100 million fine that McLaren received for the Stepney Gate nonsense after all.
Id say Mercedes see an opportunity to own an F1 team outright that has potential and its a chance for them to draw a line under some unsavory things in the past that they’re not happy about.
I’m sure some wise soul predicted all of this about 4 months ago on this very forum, now who was it??….Oh I remember it was me!