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.
 
Ross has always been seen as a genius in the sport. I know he is contentious as he is sometimes seen as a cheater. However, his brilliance can not be understated. I hope he has at least one championship left in him.
 
what struck me was that while many teams simply saw the fuel stops as a means to an end, and showed mostly one dimensional thinking, whereas it was clear that Benetton had been more intelligent. I recall at the time wondering how MS could go from being nowhere to being in the lead by a huge margin following a round of pit stops.
 
It is alchemy The Pits a much maligned area of the sport these days Ross can do ad hock what most teams spend millions on in computers and personnel.

Some fans believe that all you need to be the best these days is a very heavy right foot and yet it is blatantly obvious this is not true..
 
Dear Ross,

Run. Now. While you still have some sanity left in you.

The people running Mercedes are clearly insane. If you stay, you will wake up one day with a knife in your back.

There are plenty of other teams where your calm and measured approach will be appreciated.

Forget the money that Merc are paying you. I'm sure you don't need it after 2009.

Yours sincerely

Jaguar Racing 2002

PS. Don't forget to apologise to Lewis on the way out.
 
Dear Ross

You may have read certain rumours in the press today spread by the bloke Jordan. Can I be the first to assure you that your services are very much required here at Merc.

On a completely unrelated topic on your way out the office tonight could you please hand in your office key and security pass at reception. We need to take them away for....ermmmm......cleaning.

Yours truely

Toto 'down in Africa' Wolff
 
Irrespective of Brawn's history, he hasn't done a very good job at all at Mercedes.

He may not be the designer/engineer/<insert job here> but he's the main man and if he's going to take the praise for his previous successes when in a management role, he has to take the blame for Mercedes' failure when in a similar role there.

Perhaps it is time for a change?
 
In Ross's defence there are a lot more people involved at Mercedes, whereas previously just him and a select few others had input. Too many cooks and so on.
 
people seem to forget this irony

He started his career in F1 with Wolf Racing who had a brief partnership with Williams before Walter Wolf decided he was his own man not Frank Williams understudy

BRawn went to work with Williams as a designer in the same team as Patrick Head before moving into Sportscars with Jaguar

it would be ironic then if he was offered the Williams position because of Wolff!
 
Jos the Boss

He won;t go Ferrari remember he took a sabbatical before coming back to F1 and it was thought he was going to be made Ferrari team principal and Luca did not care he left

Ferrari is Luca's team and he would rather have someone who does what he is told in Domicali than someone like BRawn who is more head strong to play the politics

Mclaren a swap for Paddy Lowe but Ross really can only be either technical director which I no doubt see Sam Michael filling or team principal which means forcing out Martin Whitmarsh

I don't see that happening either unless Ron Dennis has a seriously falling out with Whitmarsh and pressure from commercial interests wants him replaced
 
Irrespective of Brawn's history, he hasn't done a very good job at all at Mercedes.

He may not be the designer/engineer/<insert job here> but he's the main man and if he's going to take the praise for his previous successes when in a management role, he has to take the blame for Mercedes' failure when in a similar role there.

Perhaps it is time for a change?

Depends on how you measure success though. On one basis, only Red Bull have been successful over the last three years. Sack the whole paddock? Or are these standards a bit high? To finish fourth or fifth with the fourth or fifth biggest budget is a par score, no?
 
jez101@Brogan

I'd like to know who was the idiot in the boardroom that suggested they should get Schumacher out of retirement and get rid of the reigning world champion at the time Button

Look who is laughing now

Norbert's the one being made to pay apparently for the failures in F1...quite rightly so since he is the one reporting to the Board not Ross
 
News on the new Mercedes doesn't seem to be particularly good.

Where does this leave Ross Brawn?
I still stand by my comments of a few weeks ago which is that he lucked in in 2009 with the double diffuser and once the other teams caught up they were lagging behind.
 
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