Formula One news

Mercedes not planning F1 departure

Mercedes has broken the trend of the week by stating that it will not be threatening to pull out of Formula One amid the current row over 2010's budget cap. Toyota, Red Bull, Ferrari and Renault have all made statements signaling their possible exits from the sport at the end of 2009 although Mercedes president Norbert Haug insists that the manufacturer is searching for a solution to the disagreement.

The situation sprouted as F1 governing body the FIA proposed the cap for next season, which yields the possibility of a 'two-tier' World Championship, with two sets of technical regulations in use. With no less than five teams having already responded negatively, however, the German marque (powering McLaren, Brawn and Force India) is looking to find an alternative plan.

Norbert Haug, Mercedes Motorsport vice president

"I know that, from conversation with Luca di Montezemolo (Ferrari president) and Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari team principal) that Ferrari has thought about this threat very well," Haug told The Press Association. "After 60 years in Formula One, they would not do so without some serious thinking. We will try to help to find a solution; all the teams are agreed that there cannot be two regulations in one series."

With the exit warnings having been released at a rate of almost one a day since Saturday, di Montzemolo - also president for the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) - will be meeting with the FIA on Friday in order to discuss the matter.

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