F1: Ross Brawn announces his retirement from the sport to quash McLaren rumours

Brawn has been linked with a return to the F1 paddock but has confirmed that he will not be making a comeback once more

Ross Brawn (GETTY IMAGES)

Ross Brawn has ended speculation over a return to the Formula One paddock with McLaren by announcing his retirement from the sport.

The 59-year-old has been out of work since leaving Mercedes at the end of last season, but was immediately linked with a move to McLaren following the return of Ron Dennis to the Woking-based team.

However, they announced that Lotus team principal Eric Boullier was joining the team on Tuesday, and Brawn has since announced that he will not be returning to the sport.

Speaking at a fishing event in Aberdeenshire, Brawn said, as reported by The Telegraph: “What they didn't realise when I was invited here was they had a scoop because the world's press was trying to find out if I was retiring or not.

“This is the busiest time of the year for Formula One and I said I would come along and open the River Dee.

“If they had put two and two together they would have realised I was definitely retiring.”

Brawn was inducted into Motor Sport magazine’s hall of fame earlier this week, and despite admitting then that he would “never say never”, it seems the former Benetton, Ferrari, Brawn GP and Mercedes great has made his mind up.

“I'm retiring - it's not tongue in cheek,” Brawn added.

“I'm going to take a year to enjoy the fishing and then see what life brings. I'm looking forward to it but I've got no other plans.

“It's a fantastic honour to do the ceremonial opening of the River Dee. It's a river I've never had a chance to fish before because it is predominantly known as a spring river and in the spring I'm normally trying to sort out a Formula One car in Spain.

“So February, March and April are never good months for me to go fishing - but this year is different having stopped.”

Brawn is deemed as a mastermind when it comes to team strategy, having been behind all seven of Michael Schumacher’s world championships as well as Jenson Button’s in 2009 when the Briton was driving for Brawn’s self-named team after Honda’s exit from the sport.