The German manufacturer, which already owns a 40 per cent stake in McLaren, is believed to have considered dropping its association with Lewis Hamilton’s team in favour of a full buy-out of Brawn earlier this year.
However, that was when the McLaren was struggling for pace and Hamilton was embroiled in a lying scandal. The team’s win in Hungary last month convinced Mercedes to continue its relationship with McLaren – although they will no longer produce road cars together – and expand its portfolio elsewhere.
A Mercedes-Benz Motorsport spokesperson last night denied speculation of a full-blown Brawn buy-out, though he did not deny that Mercedes could increase its involvement in a team it already supplies with engines.
“It’s our policy not to comment on rumours and we want to point out that we have longstanding contracts with McLaren,” he said.
Championship leaders Brawn are also remaining tight-lipped. Asked in early August about the prospect of a full buy-out by Mercedes, Brawn chief executive Nick Fry said he was “not aware” of a deal.
Fry announced later in the month that his team had secured backing for the next three years, leading to speculation as to who those backers might be.
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