Mercedes appears on the verge of signing up to F1’s future. The German carmaker had been locked in dispute with the sport’s chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, after rival top teams were offered better deals for the post-2012 Concorde Agreement. But Ecclestone told CNN on Thursday that “all the current teams” have signed up “until 2020”.
“Everybody has agreed with it,” the 81-year-old insisted.
Asked if Mercedes is counted among that number, Ecclestone added: “You’ll have to wait to see but I’m confident everything with Mercedes will be fine.”
Asked if he is no longer worried the Brackley based team, that currently fields Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, might pull out of F1, the diminutive Briton insisted: “Absolutely.”
On Thursday in Monaco, however, Mercedes was not confirming a done deal.
“On this matter, I can confirm we are having constructive discussions that are heading in the right direction,” said vice-president Norbert Haug.
Earlier in the Principality, team boss Ross Brawn described the talks as “delicate”.
Source:GMM
