PlanetF1

Merc: Lowe deal not yet done

Saturday 16-March-2013 23:55

Toto Wolff insists Paddy Lowe's arrival at Mercedes is "not yet done" despite the latter being on gardening leave.

Amidst rumours that Lowe is off to Mercedes at the end of this season, McLaren announced that their technical director would be leaving at the end of this season and placed him on gardening leave.

However, it appears Lowe's place at Mercedes is not yet guaranteed.

"I think it's too early to say that he's coming," Wolff, Merc's executive director, told ESPNF1.

"It's not just that you hire someone and off you go, there are discussions ongoing.

"Paddy is obviously a good guy and it's about fitting somebody in the organisation. So it's not yet done."

Asked how Lowe would fit in at Mercedes given that Ross Brawn is leading from the pit wall and Bob Bell, Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis are in charge of the technical side, Wolff said: "Obviously that situation is not perfect.

"But we've discussed it and said that Ross is the team principal and running the racing team and this is how it's going to stay.

"We haven't even started the 2013 season, we feel right working together and we have a good spirit internally.

"Paddy Lowe coming or not is so far ahead it makes no sense to talk about it now."