The good news in Formula One this week was supposed to be that Ross Brawn would be replacing Bernie Ecclestone as the new man in charge of the sport. The double bad news, alas, is that not only is Ecclestone, the current chief crusty barnacle in charge, is still going to be lingering around the paddock but that Brawn is now saying it is not a done deal.
Brawn has signed a consulting contract with new Formula One series owners Liberty Media and may [emphasis on the word “may”] be the head guy – with the approval of F1’s governing body, the FiA [Federation Internationale de l’Automobile] – but either way, Ecclestone still has a three-year contract to work through and he is still in charge of the business side of the sport that lines his pockets with gold.
Brawn previously had run the suitably-named Brawn GP that won with the 2009 constructor’s championship before being bought out by Mercedes in 2010. Prior to that stint, Brawn worked at Ferrari.