source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8362295.stm

Brawn is expected to become an all-German team following Mercedes's takeover

German car giant Mercedes has bought the Brawn Formula 1 team in a move that is likely to see Jenson Button join McLaren as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate.

Mercedes will buy 75% of Brawn in partnership with an Abu Dhabi investment company but will continue as McLaren's engine partner until 2015.

Brawn, who won both world titles in their debut season in 2009, will be rebranded as Mercedes Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg will be their lead driver, with Nick Heidfeld his likely partner.

Neither driver has yet been confirmed but Rosberg, who drove for Williams in 2009, is widely known throughout F1 to have already signed for the Mercedes team.

As part of a deal that will see the McLaren Group buy back Mercedes's 40% shareholding by 2011, the German company will continue to supply free engines and sponsorship to the team for at least the next six years.

It's a win-win situation, both for McLaren and Daimler Ron Dennis McLaren boss

The team's official name will remain Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis described the deal as "a win-win situation, both for McLaren and Daimler".

Button, who won the drivers' title this year, has been trying to secure a pay-rise from his £3.5m salary but it seems Mercedes is not interested in keeping him on.

He and his manager Richard Goddard visited McLaren on Friday and Button is now expected to join the Woking-based team for a salary around double what Brawn were offering.

Button's decision is understood not to be solely about money - sources say he considers McLaren might have a more competitive car than Brawn in 2010.

Mercedes Sports boss Norbert Haug said on Sunday that he was trying to secure a drive for Heidfeld, a former Mercedes protege who has driven for BMW since 2006.

"We are speaking with Nick Heidfeld as well," Haug told the German news agency GPA.

606: DEBATE Mercedes buy into a team that has the championship once compared to several times by McLaren Rhodsey_F1

"Mercedes-Benz supports the idea of signing an experienced and capable German driver. There is however no reason to finalise the driver situation too hastily."

Ross Brawn will stay on as team principal.

He and chief executive Nick Fry will retain a 24.9% shareholding in the team. The remaining 75.1% will be split between Mercedes, which will own 45.1% and Abu Dhabi company Aabar Investments, which will own 30%.

Brawn said: "Brawn GP has been through an incredible journey over the last 12 months. From fighting for our survival to forging a strong relationship with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, winning both the constructors' and drivers' world championships, and now accepting Daimler and Aabar's offer to buy our team, which will secure its future."

McLaren and Mercedes said one of the reasons for them to split was because of McLaren's road-car building ambitions.

McLaren is launching a high-performance sports car called the MP4-12C in 2011.

Dennis said: "I've often stated that it's my belief that, in order to survive and thrive in 21st Century Formula 1, a team must become much more than merely a team.

"That being the case, in order to develop and sustain the revenue streams required to compete and win grands prix and world championships, companies that run Formula 1 teams must broaden the scope of their commercial activities.

"In the MP4-12C, which will be introduced to market in 2011, we have a car that has inherited the genes of the iconic McLaren F1 of 1994 and has already been the subject of much global media acclaim."

also, source for next bit of news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8360705.stm

The new Lotus Formula 1 team have signed their first driver but are keeping his name under wraps, according to team principal Tony Fernandes.

The aviation entrepreneur made the announcement on Saturday but did not name his new recruit.

"Public announcement soon. The dream continues," he said.

Jarno Trulli has been linked with the Malaysian-backed team, whose technical director Mike Gasgoyne worked with the Italian at Toyota.

F1 veteran Trulli, 35, is currently out of contract, with Toyota pulling out of F1 after eight unsuccessful seasons.

Malaysian motorsport star Fairuz Fauzy has been linked with a reserve driver role with Lotus.

606: DEBATE How will Lotus perform next season?

The team are one of five new outfits due to make their debuts in 2010, with Toyota and BMW bowing out.

Between 1958 and 1994, Lotus won 79 races and list world champions Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Emerson Fittipaldi among their former drivers.

The reformed franchise has been funded by Malaysian companies Tune Group and Naza Group and will have a budget of £55m for next season.

Lotus are aiming for a roll out of the new car in mid-February to test it before the season opener in Bahrain in March.

I bet Button does crap in the 2010 championship.

based on what?

he's world champion, he's a good driver, he will be at a competetive team

while I think it's likely Hamilton will do better as he has more knowledge of the car at McLaren and is probably a faster driver too, I expect Button will do pretty well, if Hamilton were to win the WDC, i'd expect Button to be at least top 4/5 in the same car, maybe even his main rival.

Awesome... Mercedes with his own team..

And I'm expecting big things from Alonso in his ferrari..

Noooooooooo

I don't want Button in my Silver Arrows, I want Kimi back!!

Lewis-Kimi, that would be a killer lineup, not a world-champion what won one-in-a-lifetime season. He's not up for McL.

The only positive thing is that McL would keep the no.1 and 2 for next season

well, the Button move is still to be confirmed I think

problem for McLaren is, they want a good driver in with Lewis, they have 2 main options, Kimi who is asking for reportedley £25m per year and won the WDC in 2007, came 6th last season, the alternative is Button, who supposedly wants £8m per year and won the WDC last season, now, for some reason people seem to be hating on Button a little, but the big question for McLaren is, if they think Kimi is better, do they think he is £17m per year better

I'm not McL's shareholder, therefore, I don't care how much a driver costs to the team. I'm just a fan who wants his team to win. And as such, I know that Kimi is twice the driver Button is, thus I want him back in McL

the money is a key point, surely as a fan of the team/sport you know that?

your statement is highly debatable and has nothing to back it up, can you at least say why you think that?

I don't know McL's budget, if they hire Kimi it's because they know they can afford him, so I don't have to worry.

And I don't think I have to prove Kimi's better driver than Button, everyone knows that. Damn, just look at the seasons they both won, Kimi won a championship with a car that was clearly inferior to the McL during all the season, and he still managed to beat both of them, Button won the season by carrying the success of the first seven races, where his car was leagues ahead of all the others, and when the playing field leveled he never won a race again

QFT