Bernie Ecclestone thinks Brawn wants top F1 job

Bernie Ecclestone thinks Ross Brawn is eyeing the top job in F1. Before being ousted as F1 supremo, Ecclestone said he did not want to work alongside the former Ferrari and Mercedes chief at Formula One Management. Liberty Media has since taken over the company, who ousted Ecclestone and installed Brawn as F1 sporting boss.

But Ecclestone thinks Brawn is now eyeing CEO Chase Carey's job. "There are rumours that Ross wanted me to leave. If that is so, then he is happy about it now but he'll be just as happy one day when he gets rid of Chase Carey," he told the German newspaper Welt.

Actually, Brawn already has a top management job, alongside Carey and Sean Bratches. Asked which of the three would win in a typical F1 power struggle, Ecclestone answered: "Ross. Chase does not want to live in England and it's the same for Sean. They're Americans with a different attitude to life. Ross wants to live in England, the silicon valley of formula one. But if as I believe they want to relocate FOM to the US, Ross will still manage formula one in England as the top man. Ross didn't stop his retirement to play a servant role to two Americans," the 87-year-old added.

When asked if he thinks Brawn could handle that top job, Ecclestone said: "We'll see, rather than him just clinging to what he did in the past." (GMM)