Ross Brawn To Be New Sporting Boss Of F1; But Ecclestone Won't Leave Yet

Instead, Brawn will be the brains behind shaping the sporting elements and regulations of F1, while also shaping the cars and sport for the future. According to international magazine Auto Bild, Brawn has already signed the contract to head the sporting side of F1 with the approval of F1's governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Ecclestone, on the other hand will continue to handle the commercial aspect of the sport. Thus, retaining his position on the management level.

Bernie Ecclestone

In effect, F1 now gets divided between pure sports and commercial activity, and its new owners Liberty Media are looking to balance out the two by dividing the work role effectively. Unlike the past, Formula 1 won't have a single team principal, a position Ecclestone has enjoyed for the longest time now. That said, Bernie has a three year deal with Liberty Media to remain with F1 and the 86-year-old only recently relinquished some of his responsibilities to F1's new chairman Chase Carey after the takeover, while continuing to serve as the CEO. While his role now gets limited to the commercial aspect of the sport, it certainly won't keep him away from the limelight.

Brawn's primary responsibilities at F1 will include the technical and sporting regulations, acting as a liaison between teams and the FIA, and becoming the new face of F1. Brawn and his team's task will also be to make the sport more attractive to a younger audience, something F1 is sorely missing at present.

Ross Brawn Mercedes F1

Brawn's last stint in F1 was setting up the now very successful Mercedes-Petronas F1 team. The 61-year-old had purchased the old Honda F1 team and converted it to Brawn GP. In 2009, not only did the team win the constructors' championship but team driver Jenson Button was also crowned the world champion that season. Mercedes purchased the team in 2010, and the rest as they say is history.

However, Brawn GP team was also embroiled in the rear diffuser controversy back in 2009, after it was, along with Williams and Toyota accused of exploiting the aerodynamic diffuser design. The revised 2009 regulations stated that the new diffuser was to reduce downforce and increase overtaking on cars. However, rival teams Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and Sauber lodged a complaint stating that the other teams had exploited the design loophole and used it to their advantage to gain increased downforce.

Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher

Having won first two races of the season, the controversy was expected to dampen Brawn GP's success streak, but the FIA technical department and the judges panel found the diffuser to comply with the regulations and permitted the its use that year.

Ross Brawn will be working with the current FIA President Jean Todt in his new role. Interestingly, Todt was running Scuderia Ferrari, where Brawn was serving as the technical director between 1996 and 2006, so life certainly has come a full circle, hasn't it?