Apr 25, 2009, 11:24 GMT
Sakhir, Bahrain - Mercedes could consider its future in Formula One racing if motorsport's governing body FIA imposes 'unreasonable' sanctions against the McLaren-Mercedes team over charges of deceiving race stewards, the boss of Daimler has said.
In an interview to appear in the German news magazine Focus on Monday, Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler AG, said the company's future in the sport could come under review.
'If circumstances should change, perhaps because of an unreasonable punishment by the FIA, it is possible that we could consider our engagement,' said Zetsche, who is also head of the Mercedes-Benz car division.
According to Focus, the Daimler board will meet on Monday to 'debate scenarios for leaving the 250-million-euro (331 million dollars) spectacle.'
However Mercedes sports chief Norbert Haug told Germany Press Agency dpa at Sakhir Saturday ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix that this 'is not to be interpreted as a scenario for getting out' of Formula One.
McLaren-Mercedes face harsh sanctions at a hearing of the FIA world council in Paris on Wednesday into charges the team misled race stewards over an overtaking manoeuvre when the safety car was out at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 29.
It is now the second time in recent days that doubts have been raised about the company's future in Formula One racing.
Supervisory board member Helmut Lense said Thursday that Formula One 'is not accepted among the employees.'
Lense, a works council chairman and board member of Mercedes' parent Daimler, said recent workforce meetings at Daimler plants revealed the negative attitude towards the expensive sport and added that Mercedes should pull out of F1.
'Wouldn't it send the right signal to quit Formula One and to concentrate on environmentally friendly energy technologies?'
Like other carmakers, Daimler is suffering from the world economic crisis and employees fearing for their jobs. Honda pulled out of F1 racing in December citing the global recession.
Daimler AG is expected Tuesday to report a 1.08-billion-euro loss in first-quarter earnings before interest and taxes and announce a range of cost-cutting measures.
Mercedes have a 40 per cent stake in the McLaren team. The Anglo-German team won three world titles with Mika Hakkinen (1998, 1999) and Lewis Hamilton (2008).
Mercedes also supply current championship leaders Brawn GP and Force India with engines.
Ahead of the FIA hearing on Wednesday, McLaren-Mercedes team boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted to rule violations and issued an apology for incidents at the Australian Grand Prix.
The team fears tough sanctions over allegations race stewards investigating the incident were deliberately misled by then sports director Dave Ryan and world champion Hamilton.
FIA fined McLaren 100 million dollars two years ago and disqualified them from the constructors' standings over a spying affair.
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