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Brawn plays down speculation over his future

Ross Brawn: 'We won't experience this fairytale of 2009 for a second time' © Getty Images

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Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn has looked to play down increasing speculation over his future amid a reported restructuring of the German team. "I will not resign until this team is successful," he told Germany's Auto Motor Und Sport.

While Brawn's pedigree is not in doubt - he is widely credited as being the behind-the-scenes force which helped Michael Schumacher take seven world titles with Benetton and Ferrari, and another with Jenson Button for his own eponymous outfit - a difficult season in 2010 has led to Mercedes revamping its operation.

Brawn's exact role in a new set-up is unclear, and rumours continue to circulate that if his position is in any way diminished then he could well walk away.

However, he has made clear he is going nowhere in the short term, and was keen to look ahead to 2011, explaining that the current competition makes it much harder to make an impact. "Today circumstances are different," he said. "In 2008 we had 750 workers at Brackley and hundreds in Japan at Honda. We don't have that anymore.

"It's true that we started the development of the 2011 car early, but that doesn't mean we have therefore put in more resources than the three teams ahead of us.

"We won't experience this fairytale of 2009 for a second time. But I'm sure we'll have a very good car. We'll only know how good when we drive it. If it's as good as we think it is, then we've also the organisation in the back to develop it during the season."

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