Formula One news

Manufacturer days will return, says Brawn

Ross Brawn believes that several of the companies to have recently pulled out of Formula One will one day return to the sport, albeit in a considerable amount of time. The Englishman is also grateful, however, that several new privateer teams are joining the grid next season.

Nick Fry and Ross Brawn, CEO and Team Principal of Brawn GP

With the likes of car giants BMW and Toyota leaving and racing teams Campos, Manor, Lotus and USF1 joining the fray, only three car manufacturers will be left on the grid in 2010 although Brawn does not view this as a problem.

"They've obviously decided that this is how they need to respond to difficulties they are facing but they have got a lot of history in Formula One, particularly Honda and Bridgestone, so let's hope," Brawn told Reuters when asked if he would like to see the big names return in the future.

Brawn is the first privateer to be crowned Champion since Williams' double success in 1997

"It will take a while, it's going to take a few years, but Honda's was their second or third involvement in Formula One; manufacturers look at the value to them of Formula One, there's no sentiment I'm afraid, so when it's viable they come in and when it's not they don't."

Ross is convinced, however, that having non-manufacturer teams is not a bad thing for the sport. "I've been in Formula One for over 30 years and I've seen it go from total privateers to a huge number of manufacturers, back to privateers and it just goes in cycles, depending on the climate," he added.

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