Brawn wants to stay at Ferrari

Brawn is a key member with team boss Jean Todt in the tightly-knit group around seven-times champion Michael Schumacher at Ferrari.

The Briton, who joined from Benetton at the same time as as chief designer Rory Byrne after both had helped Schumacher win his first two titles there, suggested he wanted to stay.

"As to my role in the future, we are discussing that at the moment," he said. "I'm very happy at Ferrari, very pleased with the way things are and would very much like to be involved with Ferrari in the future."

Todt's contract also expires at the end of the year but he said he wanted to focus on the 2006 season before publicly addressing such issues.

Ferrari said Byrne, a key architect of the Formula One team's extraordinary success, has agreed to stay as a consultant for two more years.

The South African's contract was due to end this year and he has already handed over his main role, with Italian Aldo Costa entirely responsible for the new 248 F1 car unveiled at Italy's Mugello circuit on Tuesday.

"With this car, we've made the final step we wanted to make where Aldo is totally responsible," Brawn added.

"Rory is assuming a new position at Ferrari, he has agreed to stay with Ferrari for another two years. Rory will stay as a consultant working on projects that we agree together, primarily looking at projects for the future of Ferrari," he said.

"Rory's got huge experience and we want to use that to our advantage."

Costa's role was questioned by the Italian media last year after he took on responsibility for design and Ferrari's dominance evaporated. From winning 15 of 18 races in 2004, they triumphed only once.

Byrne, whose cars won six Constructors' Championships in a row for Ferrari from 1999 to 2004, said the Italian had been his right hand man from the day he joined from Benetton at the end of 1996.

"No-one deserves the position he's got more than he does," he said.

Brawn said there were no plans to change the aerodynamics group.

"Perhaps overall one or two other teams made more progress in 2005 but I think you will see with this car, and the same people and same team, that they've done a very good job," he declared.

"We are happy with the people we have. if we make any changes it won't be replacements but a strengthening of the organisation."