Brawn to step down - 2nd August 18:38pm GMT

Ross Brawn will step down from his post as technical director at Ferrari next year, this week's Autosport magazine reveals.

Ferrari would not confirm or deny Brawn's situation, a team spokesman telling autosport.com today: "This is one of the various speculations regarding the future of our team.

"We can only repeat once again that the structure of the team will be announced after the end of the season."

However, sources have told Autosport it is "100 percent certain" that Brawn will take a break from F1 at the end of the year.

Brawn's departure could be seen as a hint that Schumacher too has decided to retire. However, Autosport reports that Schumacher is in fact expected to stay on with Ferrari for one more season, partnering Kimi Raikkonen in what will possibly become the strongest driver line-up since Ayrton Senna teamed up with Alain Prost in McLaren, nearly twenty years ago.

Source: Autosport