Mercedes contemplate Formula 1 withdrawal?

Brackley-based Mercedes are reportedly on the verge of quitting Formula 1.

A report in The Times has claimed that Mercedes could be forced to withdraw following a dispute with the sport's governing body in the wake of Formula 1's proposed Stock Exchange floatation.

"Mercedes, which is estimated to have spent more than £1 billion on grand-prix racing in the past two decades, is on the verge of quitting Formula One as the company is denied a seat in the new boardroom that will control the sport when a Stock Exchange float is completed," the newspaper reported today.

"Red Bull, the relative newcomers to grand-prix racing, and Ferrari have both been promised boardroom places by Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One's chief executive, as he lines up a float that could value Formula One at up to £6 billion."

Mercedes are yet to comment on the article.