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Ecclestone Brings Brawn GP on the Brink of Financial Collapse

Regardless of the great pace shown by the Brawn GP car during the last couple of tests, the future of the team is still in doubt. Financially, Ross Brawn is yet to announce a life-saving partnership for the Brackley based team with only days remaining until the season opener in Melbourne.

Moreover, as shown by FIA's latest report – announcing the official and complete entry list for the 2009 Formula One championship – Brawn GP was considered a “new entry” and granted the lowest numbers of the F1 teams (therefore the last set of garages in the pit lane). What that means is that Brawn GP will not automatically be transferred the revenue entitlements of former Honda Racing F1.

Earlier this week, Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell reported that Bernie Ecclestone is the only man responsible for the difficult financial situation Brawn GP are finding themselves into. While all F1 teams agreed to the entitlements-transfer between Honda Racing and Brawn GP, the F1 supremo allegedly used his veto right to counteract it.

The 78-year old Englishman had offered his financial support to Ross Brawn's team earlier this winter, but his fellow countryman (joined by Honda's former CEO Nick Fry) decided to reject the offer. Ecclestone then announced the potential RIP of the Brackley based organization.

“They should have taken what I offered. It was a very good offer for everybody concerned. It gave them complete protection but they wanted to do things on their own. Now all we can do is hope and pray,” argued Bernie at the time.

Under its current entry list status, Brawn GP is short of approximately 22 million euros ahead of the new season. As stated in the financial agreement between the FOM (controlled by Ecclestone) and the F1 teams, the new outfits will receive full revenue entitlements later in the season.
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