McLaren not commenting on Brawn rumours

Jan.19 (GMM) McLaren has refused to comment on intensifying speculation Ross Brawn could soon be unveiled as the great British team's new boss.

After five years of Martin Whitmarsh's reign culminated in the disastrous 2013 campaign, it emerged last week that supremo Ron Dennis has wrested back control of the team he built to success.

Some think Dennis now wants to return to the pitwall as team principal, but at the age of 66, others believe that is unlikely.

So, it is the newly-departed former Mercedes boss Brawn who is now at the centre of the speculation, even though a McLaren source told the Telegraph the team will "not get involved in commenting" on those rumours.

What is fairly clear is that the Whitmarsh era is over.

"It is possible that Martin Whitmarsh could continue in that (team principal) role, but it probably would be unlikely," former McLaren driver John Watson told Sky.

Meanwhile, another former F1 driver, legend Sir Jackie Stewart, played down suggestions Jenson Button's performance may suffer in 2014, following the death of his father.

John Button was a key member of the McLaren driver's entourage at Grands Prix, but Stewart insisted: "I think racing drivers probably are tougher than most people.

"Jenson will miss him terribly, but look at all the deaths we had (in F1 in the past), yet for whatever reason we all raced."