Brawn seeking 'solution' to Ferrari quit threat

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Formula 1's Ross Brawn is determined to keep Ferrari in the sport despite the manufacturer's current opposition to the post-2020 regulation platform proposed last year.

Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne is at odds with the future regulation path chosen by F1's sporting manager, and has threatened to pull out of Grand Prix racing if the manufacturer's interests are disregarded.

Brawn, a major component of the Scuderia's success during its Michael Schumacher golden era, insists however on the importance of Ferrari's continued presence in F1.

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"I worked for them for ten years and carry them in my heart still," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

"Ferrari is an icon and I hope we will find a solution that will work for everyone. A great sport is great for everyone and we do not want Ferrari to leave.

Among Liberty Media's objectives to ensure a prosperous future for F1 is its intention of achieving a fairer distribution of income for teams beyond 2020, and distribute power more evenly up and down the pitlane.

"The sport should be fair to all participants, including Ferrari" said Brawn.

"Yes it's true that Ferrari has veto rights, but to my knowledge they never used it. Perhaps they waved it around."

As for the racing, Brawn pointed to MotoGP as an example of a series that is not as fast as Formula 1, but is arguably more exciting.

"A MotoGP bike is 30 seconds slower but it still seems incredibly fast," he said.

"It's more important to have cars that look good and can compete against one another. Does anyone complain that the times are 15 seconds slower when it rains?"

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.