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Adapted from GMM
McLaren has refused to comment on intensifying speculation Ross Brawn could soon be unveiled as the great British team's new boss.
After five years of Martin Whitmarsh's reign culminated in the disastrous 2013 campaign, it emerged last week that supremo Ron Dennis has wrested back control of the team he built to success.
Some think Dennis now wants to return to the pitwall as team principal, but at the age of 66, others believe that is unlikely.
So, it is the newly-departed former Mercedes boss Brawn who is now at the centre of the speculation, even though a McLaren source told the Telegraph the team will "not get involved in commenting" on those rumours.
What is fairly clear is that the Whitmarsh era is over.
McLaren also has played down reports its 2014 car is yet to pass all of the mandatory FIA crash tests.
"It is normal at this time of the year for teams to push to the limit to achieve maximum performance," a source at the Woking based team reportedly told the German news agency DPA.
"It is no different when it comes to the crash tests," he added, insisting the MP4-29 will pass the tests before it makes its track debut.
However, it is not clear if the tests will be passed in time for the first pre-season session at Jerez in just over a week. Eric Boullier said recently he knew as "fact" that Lotus will not be the only team missing in southern Spain.
Spain's El Mundo Deportivo said McLaren has scheduled a new round of crash tests for the forthcoming week.
Meanwhile, former F1 driver, legend Sir Jackie Stewart, played down suggestions Jenson Button's performance may suffer in 2014, following the death of his father.
John Button was a key member of the McLaren driver's entourage at grands prix, but Stewart insisted: "I think racing drivers probably are tougher than most people.
"Jenson will miss him terribly, but look at all the deaths we had (in F1 in the past), yet for whatever reason we all raced."
McLaren has refused to comment on intensifying speculation Ross Brawn could soon be unveiled as the great British team's new boss.
After five years of Martin Whitmarsh's reign culminated in the disastrous 2013 campaign, it emerged last week that supremo Ron Dennis has wrested back control of the team he built to success.
Some think Dennis now wants to return to the pitwall as team principal, but at the age of 66, others believe that is unlikely.
So, it is the newly-departed former Mercedes boss Brawn who is now at the centre of the speculation, even though a McLaren source told the Telegraph the team will "not get involved in commenting" on those rumours.
 |
| Ross Brawn trying to hide behind a plant (Photo: WRi2) |
What is fairly clear is that the Whitmarsh era is over.
McLaren also has played down reports its 2014 car is yet to pass all of the mandatory FIA crash tests.
"It is normal at this time of the year for teams to push to the limit to achieve maximum performance," a source at the Woking based team reportedly told the German news agency DPA.
"It is no different when it comes to the crash tests," he added, insisting the MP4-29 will pass the tests before it makes its track debut.
However, it is not clear if the tests will be passed in time for the first pre-season session at Jerez in just over a week. Eric Boullier said recently he knew as "fact" that Lotus will not be the only team missing in southern Spain.
Spain's El Mundo Deportivo said McLaren has scheduled a new round of crash tests for the forthcoming week.
Meanwhile, former F1 driver, legend Sir Jackie Stewart, played down suggestions Jenson Button's performance may suffer in 2014, following the death of his father.
John Button was a key member of the McLaren driver's entourage at grands prix, but Stewart insisted: "I think racing drivers probably are tougher than most people.
"Jenson will miss him terribly, but look at all the deaths we had (in F1 in the past), yet for whatever reason we all raced."