Ross Brawn

"The Bear."

After successes in Sportscars with Jaguar, Ross Brawn moved to Formula One with Benetton, where his strategical understanding of how to use refuelling pitstops effectively helped Michael Schumacher to his first two titles. He then moved to Ferrari, helping Schumacher to another 5 titles, before going on a sabbatical for 2007.

He showed up at Honda in 2008, quickly deciding to abandon the season in favour of being the best placed to capitalise on the 2009 rule change. Though Honda pulled out, Brawn GP (as they became) had easily the best car at the start of the season, largely due to the Double Diffuser loophole Brawn had pointed out to the FIA and the FIA had decided to ignore. This allowed Jenson Button to rack up enough points early on that the inevitable decline of the under-budgeted team failed to cost them either title.

Enter Mercedes. Schumacher came out of retirement to join Brawn, but he has thus far been outperformed by his team-mate Rosberg. Has Brawn allowed sentiment to woo him?

The biggest credit I think you can pay to Brawn, though, is that the leading two cars after a major regulatory rethink have been from the teams containing him and Adrian Newey. And that is quite the company to keep.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Christian Horner take note.

"Come on Seb, this is getting silly."

Not exactly an order is it? More of a caution...

Yes Horner get a grip ya big girl, it's not like your in a position of authority or anything is it?????

 

[RasputinLives]

I'd go with the it wasn't Ross call at Ferrari thing if you didn't look at his time with every team he's been with and see a clear team leader. If it wasn't his operating procedure its certainly been one thats been bred into him.

However I don't think Ross Brawns way of operating has ever consigned someone to being an also ran. I think the driver themselves has already made sure thats where brawn puts them before he arrives on the scene.

 

[Il_leone]

Ross Brawn's statement about Schumacher " The reason why I stick with Michael is because he wins races he should and wins races he should not?"

Ross was good at the strategy game which helped Schumacher to let him know when turn up the pace

how many drivers could say make up 10 seconds in 5 laps or so ?

That response by Ross was in response to aftermath of Austria gate about favouring Schumacher if I am right

 

[KekeTheKing]

Ross Brawn is often playing chess while the rest of us are left to dawdle with our checkers and tiddlywinks.

 

[F1ang-o]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/23158125
Ross saying he is hoping to stay at Merc & it's the first he has heard of future Honda connection....

 

[Il_leone]

Interesting if Ross is going to get a job at Honda he would have to work with Mclaren for which he has had a frosty relationship having worked for Ferrari

---

 

[The Pits]

Unless Honda are thinking that he would be a useful addition to the team at McLaren, to augment the new works team?

I have to admit, it is not something that I think is on the cards, but it would be good for McLaren.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I don't see why Brawn should have a frosty relationship with McLaren. There are plenty of people who have worked for one and then gone on to the other at a later date. It's called professionalism.

 

[Il_leone]

Bill Boddy

Agree but that depends whether Whitmarsh or Dennis still hold grudges over the Ferrari vs Mclaren years

 

[Bill Boddy]

If the McLaren team members hold grudges against anyone I would expect they would be against the FIA and it's members.

 

[teabagyokel]

Dennis and Whitmarsh want the best at McLaren, I presume...

 

[F1ang-o]

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2013/...ips-in-2009-was-biggest-singular-achievement/
RB was asked to finish the sentence...'I won't rest until......' he replied........."I've won more races"
"I will stop one day, I'm in the autumn of my career."
"I don't want to stop at the wrong time, I'd like it to be my choice in the best interests of the team."
Winning races & hopefully championships, is the life blood of why I'm in F1."

 

[Fenderman]

Sounds reasonable.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Finish what he started with Mercedes and then call it a day. Feet up and job done.

 

[Greenlantern101]

5 live reporting that Brawn is leaving Mercedes. No mention of where he is going.

edit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24725406

 

[Bill Boddy]

 

[Hamberg]

****

 

[Chris Stevens]

Very sad to hear of his departure from MErcedes at the end of this season, hope he makes it to another team as he is one of the greatest minds in F1. Don't think it will hurt Merc's chances in 2014 though

 

[canis]

Nothing against Ross, but Merc really were the architypal demonstration of the phrase "too many chiefs and not enough indians". This will hopefully settle the fact that there are a lot of high ups at Merc all of which were vying for control, though I still get the feeling with Ross gone there are still too many chiefs and the best one they had is walking out the door.

The question we have to really ask is, how many other team principals are going to be falling over themselves to recruit someone they know will be ultimately after their job or at least part of it? Would somewhere like McLaren benefit from splitting the business and technical sides of the team? Leave Martin dealing with the money and sponsors and talking platitudes on TV with Ross driving the technical development of the car? I doubt Ross will be going anywhere in F1 in a hurry right now as other team principals will be considering their own futures if they take him on, which is a great shame as Ross is possibly one of the nicest faces in F1 these days and not one for the corporate rubbish that takes up most of the time on TV and within the factories...

Or could we see the fabled sale of Torro Rosso finally taking place?

 

[siffert_fan]

Personally, I would put Lauda as #1 in the "too many chiefs" category. His history in F1 management is far from glorious-witness how well the Jaguar team did with him in charge.

And replacing Brawn with a refugee from McLaren doesn't seem likely to be a great step up considering that team's decline in the past few years.