F1 team review - Brawn GP

"The only thing you can say about Brawn is that their world title success was fully deserved and an absolute fairytale.

"For a new team to come back from the brink of obscurity and ruin to win both the constructors and drivers' championship is absolutely fantastic. It is something that not many people could have believed would happen, and it's something nobody could have expected at the beginning of the year.

"Some people may think that the competition caught up mid-season but I don't necessarily see it that way.

"Brawn were not as dominant as they were at the beginning of the season but they were still a very strong contender - after all, Button's team-mate Rubens Barrichello won in Valencia and Monza.

"That is evidence that the team were not that far away.

"Button got twitchy - but you have to make allowances for the fact that the pressure on him was huge.

"He came back and clinched his championship in Brazil with a superb drive that was in keeping with any world champion.

"It will be a lot more difficult next season because the euphoria of the championship win will fade away and they have been probably doing everything they can to get this car to win the championship whereas other teams such as Ferrari and McLaren have been busy designing next year's car.

"It will be a big test - but if anyone can pass it, Ross Brawn can."

Have the rule changes achieved the desired effect?

For our team you would have to say yes as we are now competing right at the front of the grid having dedicated the majority of last season to designing our 2009 car to the new regulations. However, Formula 1 is all about innovation and we should not be afraid to make changes where needed to improve the quality of the racing for our fans.

Can you explain your team's philosophy in three words? Going racing the Brawn GP way… sorry, that's six words!

Why do Brawn GP race?

Brawn GP exists to go racing. It's that simple and that philosophy is at the heart of everything that we do.

What is special about Brawn GP?

The team seems to have struck a chord with Formula 1 fans this year, particularly after the challenges we faced over the winter. We hope our open approach to the sport, plus the fact that we try to have fun when we go racing, has helped to encourage so many fans to register on www.BrawnGP.com

BRAWN GP FACTS AND STATS Nationality: English Headquarters Brackley, UK Debut season 2009 Drivers: Jenson Button Rubens Barrichello Team principal: Ross Brawn Technical director: Jorg Zander Engine: Mercedes V8

What is the team's status in Formula 1?

We are a new British team, born from the legacy of Honda and British American Tobacco, who are using the combination of fantastic resources at our Brackley factory and our smart engineering brains to race to the very best of our ability.

What is the team's image?

We hope that our fans see the team as open and friendly but understated. I think we have shown this year that a small team with a limited budget can punch above their weight and that we have enjoyed every success that has come our way. As I say, we really just exist to go racing.

Why should people support Brawn GP?

Formula 1 needs a diverse grid to maintain its attraction as the pinnacle of global motorsport. The sport needs a combination of large manufacturer teams and smaller independent teams like ourselves, Red Bull and Williams. Brawn GP are in the unique position of having inherited the resources, facilities and engineering expertise of Honda combined with the flexibility of now being an independent team. We try to approach our racing with an understated but ambitious approach and we are also in Formula 1 to enjoy our racing.

If your team were an animal what would it be?

I suppose if you consider the fact that we made it onto the grid in Melbourne by the skin of our teeth, having nearly not survived the winter, you could compare us to a cat. I am just not sure how many of our nine lives we have already used up! Can it be a mythological creature? If so, I imagine that we would have to be a phoenix, rising from the flames.

What does a team boss do?

My role is to oversee all of Brawn GP's operations and ensure that our employees have the resources and support that they need to produce race winning cars. After 30 years in the business what I've really learned is that this is a team sport at every level. What I try to do is get the very talented group of people that we have at Brawn GP to work together so the sum of the parts is always greater than the individual parts.

What is the most difficult thing about being a team boss?

The buck stops with you! You have to be confident in your decisions and prepared to hold your hand up if you make a mistake.

Are you worried about the future of F1?

Obviously the sport is going through some challenging times at the moment but every single person involved in Formula 1 is passionate about racing and I'm confident that we will continue to provide a wonderful show for our millions of fans.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version