German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has confirmed its commitment to Formula One following the shock decision this week by BMW to quit the sport in 2010.

This departure, coming after Honda's exit in December 2008, has led to fears that other vehicle manufacturers may also be eyeing the door as the recession continues to bite into finances.

However, Mercedes and Toyota have stated that the exit does not have any bearing on their operations in the sport and they will continue participating.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said: "We regret the Formula One withdrawal of BMW. This decision does not have any influence on our Formula One engagement."

"With the reductions of costs we are continuing our Formula One engagement. Our situation remains unchanged," confirmed a spokesperson from Toyota.

In addition to sponsoring McLaren, the German carmaker known for executive car hire models such as the Mercedes C-Class, E-Class and S-Class 500 also provides engines to Brawn GP and Force India.

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