Brawn aiming to recruit three new carmakers into F1

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Formula 1's director of motorsport Ross Brawn has targeted three new car manufacturers to help drive the sport's expansion program.

"There are several premium manufacturers that I would like in Formula 1," Brawn told Sports Bild this week.

"Porsche is one of them," he revealed. "But also Aston Martin and Lamborghini."

Currently, the high costs of developing a bespoke engine conforming to the sport's technical regulations discourage new entrants.

But Brawn is hoping that proposals for new engine specifications from 2021 will reduce entry costs and attract new interest.

"I guarantee you, with today's power unit, no manufacturer is interested in getting started," Brawn admitted. "That's why we have to make it cheaper and easier.

"That's why we need to create an environment that's attractive to them," he added.

"We have to look at cost control for the future," Brawn added in an interview with Sky Sports F1. "We want a meritocracy, we want the best to win - but we don't want two or three seconds between the teams."

"For 2021 we will have great-looking cars which can race each other," he promised. "We have an opportunity to start again with the engines, learn from the past and redefine what we want for the future."

However Brawn continues to rule out a return to V8, V10 or V12 engines.

"We felt that was one step too far," he explained. "We have to respect the investment the manufacturers have put in [to V6 hybrid units]."

The recent engine proposals from the sport's new owners Liberty Media have not gone down well with all existing teams. Ferrari has suggested it might veto the plans, or even quit the sport outright.

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