F1 'may regret' FOTA split - Brawn

Feb.22 (GMM) Mercedes is committed to the crumbling teams association FOTA, team boss Ross Brawn insists.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren, Chief Executive Officer with Stefano Domenicali Ferrari General Director, Ross Brawn Team Principal, Mercedes GP, John Booth, Saul Ruiz de Marcos and Sir Frank Williams, AT&T Williams, Team Chief, Managing Director, Team Princip

Photo by: xpb.cc

The Geneva based alliance has lost the support of top teams Red Bull and Ferrari, and also smaller outfits Sauber, Toro Rosso and HRT.

It is rumoured Lotus could be the next to go.

But McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh remains the chairman, and media outlets on Wednesday quoted Mercedes' Brawn as saying the German marque remains "very committed" to FOTA.

"We believe it's a great shame that we've lost some of the members from FOTA because I think we may live ultimately to regret that," he is quoted by Sky Sports.

Contemplating the reasons for the FOTA split, Brawn explained: "When there is outside pressure it pushed FOTA together. Now, there is not so much, the natural competitiveness of the teams is pushing it apart a bit.

"I hope we don't regret it ... because one of the objectives was to find the right solutions for F1, not just for individual teams."