Lauda refses to confirm reports linking Paddy Lowe with Mercedes

Nikki Lauda declined to comment on speculation that Paddy Lowe is set to join Mercedes in 2014, stressing that Ross Brawn remains in charge.

Lowe has been replaced as Technical Director at McLaren by Tim Goss, with the team confirming the 50-year-old would be moving onto a “fresh challenge in 2014.”

However, despite the McLaren announcement, the Mercedes non-executive chairman was remaining tight-lipped.

“I cannot confirm anything yet,” he told Sky Sports News.

“I was surprised that McLaren issued the statement today, but I cannot make any comment for the time being.”

When pressed if Lowe would be someone he was interested in Lauda added: “Paddy Lowe is certainly a known quantity, I know him very well personally and he is a very good man.”

The potential arrival of Lowe casts the future of Ross Brawn as Team Principal into doubt, but Lauda insists he still has his full support.

“I must tell you that I know Ross really well, I work with him everyday, he is highly motivated and there is no question about it,” he said.

“There is no discussion at all that he will leave. He is committed and he is in charge of the whole team so let’s wait and see what he can do.”

Lauda’s arrival was one of a number of changes made to the management structure at the Silver Arrows during the off-season and the Austrian says everyone is bedding into their new roles nicely.

“I think things are coming together very well,” he said.

“Ross Brawn is the Team Principal – there is no question about that, he is fully in charge and responsible for the technical part of the car. Toto Wolff joined the team some weeks ago – he will look after all the commercial side of it.

“Mercedes own the majority of the team and they are the ones made these changes. I am the head of the board – so I am like the helicopter looking from the top down and sometimes there is some fog and sometimes I can see things very well.

“But I think we are all together, Toto Wolff, Ross Brawn and myself and the whole team of people and I am sure we will move forward.”