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.

 

[Izumi]

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

I am peddling new career with FiA for Ross since day he has left Daimler. Him taking complex F1 division as a top guy I thought would have been plus for sport.

LdM would have been probably also good, but Marchionne put lid on those hopes.

Never, even in my wildest dreams, I would vote for Newey. I think he is technically and politically biased, and that in my eyes would disqualify him from running anything at FiA.

 

[vintly]

I was crossing my fingers that Brawn would come back somehow, perhaps for the ‘top job’ when it came up. Liberty made the right choice in hiring him, and we should be patient.

Brawn has acquitted himself well in all previous posts (no doubt others may have different opinions - admittedly there’s tonnes of small print I don’t know about), there’s no reason to think he’ll mess up here. If things don’t go well then it won’t be due to his mis-management.

Liberty have an expensive can of worms, Brawn has a tricky task ahead. There will be compromises along the way that hinder quick change. So be it.

 

[Angel]

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

Gee I hope you're wrong on that.

 

[RasputinLives]

Everyone thought Bernie was the sport savouir when he took over too. Sport was in a state then as well. As Shirley Bassey says "it's all just a little bit of history repeating"

 

[Il_leone]

Ross is respected in the paddock for his achievements but even he will not upset the teams too much because you never know if he might end up with a future job at one of the teams . I look at Renault , and Mclaren certainly two teams who would want to hire him.

 

[Izumi]

Ross is respected in the paddock for his achievements but even he will not upset the teams too much because you never know if he might end up with a future job at one of the teams . I look at Renault , and Mclaren certainly two teams who would want to hire him.

DATE: 2019-02-18 CET: 08:26
On one hand you are presenting plausible argument, that Ross might be in demand, yet he doesn't want to end up like Luca Cordero di Montezemolo who felt out of favors with Ferrari. On the other hand, never say never, but Ross stated several times he has no desire to take a job as TP. Its doggy dog world, and in his age he doesn't has to do it anymore. If anything he has high position now, and there is always escape to fishing available. I personally would like tp see him taking over FiA's the F1 division. He is with "wrong" crowd now, methinks.
I.

 

[gethinceri]

RB is in the right place now, for him. For F1 the opinion may be different, for the FIA they'll be very happy. Since the departure of BE, the final vestiges have gone and the rollercoaster of those years will not be seen again. I often think that if MM had been allowed to flex more muscle then the likes of SF, MB and RBR wouldn't have the power they seem to. Indeed I think MB has said similar in the past, backed up by DC but back before DC was at C4.
Anyway, the JT influence at FIA can't be ignored, his position enables SF to continue their "historical advantage". What the likes of FW, RD (although he's no longer a noise) and even JYS think of the situation can only be surmised, but I'm sure they love seeing an engineer with pedigree having a key influence. I wonder how CC, JB, DG and GM would respond to the question of wether F1 is heading in the right direction but I'm sure JH would be thinking "WTF?"

 

[Bill Boddy]

Could we have an appendix please gethinceri explaining all those acronyms?

 

[Titch]

My head hurts gethinceri .

 

[sobriety]

RB = Jenson Button
BE = Jenson Button
SF = Jenson Button
MB = Jenson Button
RBR = Jenson Button
DC = Jenson Button
FW = Jenson Button
RD = Jenson Button
CC = Jenson Button
JB = Jenson Button
DG = Jenson Button
JH = Jenson Button

 

[RasputinLives]

S**t = Kvyat

 

[gethinceri]

Now now, don’t be cruel; DK is a great driver.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Now now, don’t be cruel; DK is a great driver.

Danny Kent is in Moto GP so why is he being talked about here?

 

[Izumi]

RB is in the right place now, for him. For F1 the opinion may be different, for the FIA they'll be very happy. Since the departure of BE, the final vestiges have gone and the rollercoaster of those years will not be seen again. I often think that if MM had been allowed to flex more muscle then the likes of SF, MB and RBR wouldn't have the power they seem to. Indeed I think MB has said similar in the past, backed up by DC but back before DC was at C4.
Anyway, the JT influence at FIA can't be ignored, his position enables SF to continue their "historical advantage". What the likes of FW, RD (although he's no longer a noise) and even JYS think of the situation can only be surmised, but I'm sure they love seeing an engineer with pedigree having a key influence. I wonder how CC, JB, DG and GM would respond to the question of wether F1 is heading in the right direction but I'm sure JH would be thinking "WTF?"

How long it took you to write this, gethinceri? Twitter generation must be elated with this masterpiece of literary art.

 

[Bleu]

Here's how I saw the most.
BE = Bernie Ecclestone
MM = Max Mosley
SF = Scuderia Ferrari
MB (first) = Mercedes Benz
RBR = Red Bull Racing
MB (second) = Martin Brundle
DC = David Coulthard
JT = Jean Todt
FW = Frank Williams
RD = Ron Dennis
JYS = John Young (Jackie) Stewart
CC = Colin Chapman
JB = Jack Brabham?
DG = Dan Gurney (or Derek Gardner)
GM = ???
JH = James Hunt

How it understand the wording is that CC, JB, DG and GM are all persons who are no longer with us.

 

[gethinceri]

Nice work Bleu.
Gordon Murray

 

[Bleu]

I was thinking that but knowing he's still alive I ignored him because it's still possible to ask him about current direction.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Gordon Murray spends his days trying to raise cash to build funny little cars. I'm pretty sure he's not got a clue which direction he's going in let alone F1.

 

[Andyoak]

I like his funny little cars...
But I think he'd argue its not about his cars but the manufacturing / factory process.

I think the new TVR is being built on his istream model; and Yamaha have a stake in it.

 

[FB]

Hey, John Barnard spends his days selling antiques so let's not be too harsh on GM. At least he's still connected with cars, in a round about way.