(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Motoring giant Mercedes-Benz is set to buy a stake in newcomers, Brawn GP.
The German company already supplies Brawn with engines for its cars, in a customer deal, but now the company looks to be repeating its actions with current F1 partner Mclaren.
Mercedes also supplies Force India with customer engines.
Brawn are in need of a main backer, in order to continue its racing activities. After long negotiations with the Virgin Group came to nothing more than a mild sponsorship deal, Brawn continued looking for another source of income.
A deal with Mercedes, similar to that of Mclaren's, would provide Brawn GP with security needed in order to obtain a title sponsor.
Mercedes bought 40% of Mclaren, in 1999, at a reported cost of £400 million. The two companies have since had a lot of disagreements with regards to Mclaren producing Mercedes' SLR supercar.
Although, unsuprisingly, Mercedes have refused to comment on the matter, a Reuters quote provides some evidence to the rumour.
"Our cooperation with various Formula One teams obviously gives rise to various rumours," said a Mercedes spokesperson.
Mclaren, on the other hand, have been quite vocal about the relationship between Mercedes and Brawn.
"we're supportive of our partner's plans to re-engine supply of other teams in Formula 1 and we were delighted earlier this year that a Mercedes-Benz engine supply deal was able to be done with Brawn, thereby saving that team from likely extinction."
Brawn have remained silent on the matter.
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