Williams denies talks with Brawn

Williams has played down reports the British team could be the next destination for Ross Brawn.

Mercedes on Tuesday refused to comment on the latest speculation about Brawn’s future, amid suggestions the 58-year-old has decided to step down as team boss.

Last month, paddock rumours suggested Brawn could be interested in buying the 15 per cent stake in Williams currently owned by his Mercedes colleague Toto Wolff, who is keen to offload the shares to end a conflict of interest.

Brawn began his F1 career in the 70s when Sir Frank Williams gave him a job as a machinist.

Later, in the mid 90s, he worked with great success at Benetton alongside Pat Symonds, who this year started work as Williams’ new technical boss.

But Brawn insisted last month: "I’m definitely not buying shares in Williams!"

That doesn’t mean he might not head back to the British team simply to work there alongside Symonds.

But deputy team boss Claire Williams told the Mirror in Abu Dhabi this week: "There have been no conversations with Ross."

Brawn has also been linked with McLaren’s new Honda era beginning in 2015, but the latest rumour is that he could reunite with his old Ferrari boss Jean Todt, who is now president of F1’s governing FIA.