Carmakers should supply engines only

(GMM) Car manufacturers involved in formula one might be better off withdrawing and serving only as engine suppliers, according to a famous German motor racing figure.

Hans-Joachim Stuck, a former grand prix driver and now representative for Volkswagen, advises marques like BMW and Mercedes-Benz to stop spending millions dabbling in the design of the chassis.

The 58-year-old acknowledges the carmakers' past and likely future successes, but believes the necessary investment of hundreds of millions of euros means the risk of failure is too high.

McLaren, whose biggest shareholder is Mercedes, and BMW's works team BMW-Sauber, are respectively fifth and eighth in the 2009 constructors' championship, while Renault sits in seventh place.

"Nobody would spend 300 million in one year and then not be on the podium, but that is the way it is," Stuck, 58, told Germany's Bild newspaper.

"I cannot understand why Mercedes or BMW still build cars. They should limit themselves to what they can do: design and sell engines."

Stuck said Mercedes should make its approach to Brawn GP the template for manufacturers' involvements in F1.

"Their own team McLaren is a long way behind and costs Mercedes a huge sum of money. At the same time Norbert Haug sells his engines for 10 million euros to Brawn: they're going to be world champions and make money as well!" he remarked.

Meanwhile, in Spain's sports daily Marca, it is rumored again this week that boss Flavio Briatore could buy the Renault team, but still use the French marque's works engines in 2010 and beyond.