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.

 

[Hamberg]

Was I alive?!

 

[RasputinLives]

Early 90s so prob not.

 

[vintly]

Yes No Maybe.

Ross Brawn denies Formula 1 job speculation

My guess, and hope, is that Ross is being sensibly coy at this stage, and that Liberty have asked him to take on a sizeable role. If so, he is therefore in negotiations to ensure he gets total control of whatever it is, and the right package, instead of what's currently being proffered. Fingers crossed.

 

[Incubus]

Yes No Maybe.

--------------------------

We heard it here first.

 

[Titch]

I get the impression that he doesn't want a role in F1 while Bernie is still around.

 

[Zvonimir]

Ross is one of the greatest in Formula 1 history! Bravo Ross!

 

[Zvonimir]

By the way, iz would be nice to have an excel with all active personnel divided by F1 teams! Anyone knows where to find those data, apart from the book issued once a year on 1.000 pages that costs so much?

 

[Izumi]

I have always like Ross for his decency as a man. Regarding his technical skills, there are two school of thoughts about it. One elevates him to above all others with (perceived) sky level intellect, second school however, as represented by Ecclestone, states that much about Brawn is myth. He was a good strategist, says the man, for races with Ferrari, but technically he was surrounded with brilliant people around him who actually did the engineering side of operations, and he then collected credits in media.

After he has left active racing, I've been praying for him to become top level F1 commissioner of a kind for FiA. It would have been full time job, and someone is needed to tame remaining "deep state" MM left behind, and JT never managed to get rid off. Ross however sold his soul to Liberty, and I cannot recognize the man anymore. It might have been a mistake of his life, we will see how it ends.

 

[vintly]

Ross Brawn - 14.12.18

"If we don't achieve everything we want to achieve with these changes, we'll learn from it, press on and carry on with the next phase of changes - and we'll keep doing that until we get the cars in a form when they can race each other much more effectively."

Liberty may be his paymasters but 'sold his soul'?

Be patient, have faith, #longliveRossBrawn

 

[Titch]

I like Ross Brawn. I can’t believe he’s sold his soul.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think if you look deeper at Mr Brawn you'll find most of his career and success has come from NOT being a decent man. He was certainly part of a Bennetton team who are on record as being the biggest rule breakers of all time. Later he bought a failing F1 team for a pound, exploited a loop hole in the rules so the team would dominate (completely destroying what FIA were trying to do) and then when loop hole was closed promptly sold the team for millions. Mr Brawn is an opportunist and they are rarely decent.

On top of which Brawn is very much part of the establishment and friendly with the teams and team bosses. He's really not going to do anything to upset them.

I think we need to peel him off the cross because he's not a saviour.

 

[F1Brits_90]

ross brawn will sort out the sport, there is nobody better bar Adrian newey who knows the sport inside out

 

[RasputinLives]

Adrian Newy has made the sport what it is today. Full of stupid aero.

 

[Andyoak]

Adrian Newey has exploited the rules which dictate an aero dependent series: it's what he's paid for and is now his speciality.

To put him in charge of the tectnical rules would be a guarantee of more of the same.

As for Ross and"cheating" with the double diffuser... His wasn't the only team that saw the loop hole and exploited it: but they were the best.

If Ross was employed by the FIA to run the technical rules (rather than Liberty); and the FIA actually took some control and responsibility for the racing, I'd have more faith in him being able to influence change. But that's never going to happen with Todt happy to sit back and do fuck all; and Liberty dazzled by the big name manufacturers.

 

[gethinceri]

I like Ross Brawn and I think he's good for the sport. Being an opportunist is not the mark of indecency; his purchase of Honda was a good thing as it kept a team alive, the fact that an inspired design provided the car that delivered a World Drivers' Championship for the loveliest boy to grace an F1 grid is a bonus.
I have more faith in Ross Brawn to provide a future for F1 than all of the bean-counting fuckwits and venture capitalists that are in and around the sport.

 

[Angel]

You have to hope someone will sort out the racing and Ross Brawn is a man who has been there and done that, so he knows what is needed. Whether that means he can make a difference, I don't know, but I hope he can because calling F1 a racing series is becoming less and less true, all too often it's a procession with gimmicks these days.

 

[RasputinLives]

Ross Brawn is pretty much Bernie 2.0. their careers and outlook are very similar.

 

[Titch]

Has someone pissed you off today RasputinLives ?

 

[RasputinLives]

Just Ross Brawn.

 

[Dartman]

We seem to be suggesting Ross Brawn and Adrian Newey should join forces as ex poachers to become gamekeepers for the FIA, however like leopards poachers never change their spots and quite often resign as gamekeepers to take up more lucrative poaching