Mercedes might partially withdraw from Formula One in 2014

As these are merely rumours, take this topic with a grain of salt. Mercedes might partially withdraw from Formula One at the end of 2013, if reports from a French weekly Auto are to be believed. The Stuttgart based carmaker might eventually field only a 'semi-official' team from 2014 if it cannot reach a new Concorde Agreement deal with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Despite the partial withdrawal, Mercedes would still continue as an engine supplier to teams like McLaren and Force India, where Mercedes GP might be re-badged as 'AMG F1'. As you might be aware, AMG is a subsidiary of Mercedes' and deals with high-performance tuning of stock Mercedes models like the C63 AMG, SL65 AMG, etc. AMG F1 will function from its current Brackley base and would continue to be run by Ross Brawn, with seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in the cockpit, while Mercedes will shift its focus to engineering.

Reason for Mercedes' partial withdrawal point to the Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption scandal involving Ecclestone, and the latter's push for Mercedes to make a long-term pledge to the sport. Another reason cited is Mercedes' lack of success with its team since 2010. If the rumours are true and Mercedes continues with its plans, F1 will have only three engine suppliers in 2014 - Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari, when the new 1.6- litre V6 powertrain replaces the current 2.4-litre V8 and will see a return of turbocharging.