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50-50 chance of Brawn staying - Lauda

ESPN Staff
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Ross Brawn could leave Mercedes at the end of the year © Sutton Images
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Niki Lauda says the chances of Ross Brawn staying at Mercedes next year is 50-50, but has guaranteed his team principal No.1 status if he does.

Brawn's future has been the subject of speculation ever since the start of the season when Toto Wolff joined as executive director and laid in place a deal to bring McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe to the team. Mercedes already had a top-heavy technical team and Lowe's arrival was seen as the start of a succession plan for Brawn's departure.

However, non-executive chairman Lauda says he has been working hard to convince Brawn to stay in 2014.

"It's down to him now," he told Mirror Sport. "I'd say it's 50-50.

"We have had some small problems in the team in the past but everything is sorted now. It's all agreed between him and Paddy and everyone else. He's No.1. I have tried to persuade him to stay. I want him to stay. We will talk again at the end of the season."

Mirror Sport raised the possibility of Brawn retiring from the sport next year after speculation that he could join either Williams or McLaren was played down.

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