Ross Brawn to leave Mercedes F1 team after months of speculation
Ross Brawn is to step down from his position as the Mercedes team principal on 31 December, ending months of speculation.
After lengthy discussions, the Brackley-based team is now to be run by Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe in their roles as executive director (business) and executive director (technical) respectively.
"The most important consideration in my decision to step down was to ensure that the timing was right for the team in order to ensure its success," Brawn told Autosport.com.
"The succession planning process that we have implemented during this year means we are now ready to conduct the transition from my current responsibilities to a new leadership team composed of Toto and Paddy.
"Mercedes-Benz has invested significantly in both the personnel and infrastructure at Brackley and Brixworth.
"Thanks to the one-team approach we have implemented between the two facilities, the team is uniquely positioned to succeed in 2014 and I am proud to have helped lay the foundations for that success.
"However, 2014 will mark the beginning of a new era in the sport. We therefore felt this was the right time to simultaneously begin a new era of team management to ensure that the organisation is in the strongest possible competitive position for the years to come."
Niki Lauda, Mercedes' non-executive chairman, had tried to convince Brawn to stay on but it is likely his role would have been diminished.
"We have had long discussions with Ross about how he could continue with the team but it is a basic fact that you cannot hold somebody back when they have chosen to move on," he said.
"Ross has decided that this is the right time to hand over the reins to Toto and Paddy and we respect his decision. Toto and Paddy are the right people to lead our team in 2014 and beyond."
Lowe had been brought in from McLaren with the intention of installing him as Brawn's successor. He had been in charge at Mercedes since 2010 after the manufacturer bought out Brawn GP and was instrumental in bringing Lewis Hamilton to the team.
Lewis Hamilton tweeted: "Massive thanks to Ross Brawn. He's been a great leader and teacher for me. Ross has built the foundations for us to succeed in 2014!"
Brawn could now interest Honda, who are re-entering F1 in 2015 as McLaren's engine partner.