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[McLaren Fan]

It seems Brawn are not getting the credit they deserve. An engine is a critical component of the car. Contrary to what some have suggested, redesigning a car for a new engine is not simply a case of how to fit the engine in the car and get the drivetrain sorted. Engines have different weights, power, torque etc., so numerous parts of the car need to be adjusted and redesigned, otherwise the car's weight distribution, suspension settings, traction etc. will all over the place. You only need to look at McLaren from 1994 to 1996 inclusive to see that. Given Brawn didn't have a clue what engine they would be getting until very recently, and even if their times are not representative of the car's true pace, they've done very well.

[Denthúl]

It seems Brawn are not getting the credit they deserve. An engine is a critical component of the car. Contrary to what some have suggested, redesigning a car for a new engine is not simply a case of how to fit the engine in the car and get the drivetrain sorted. Engines have different weights, power, torque etc., so numerous parts of the car need to be adjusted and redesigned, otherwise the car's weight distribution, suspension settings, traction etc. will all over the place. You only need to look at McLaren from 1994 to 1996 inclusive to see that. Given Brawn didn't have a clue what engine they would be getting until very recently, and even if their times are not representative of the car's true pace, they've done very well.

Indeed. Fortunately, the Mercedes engine is said to be similar in size and shape to the Honda unit, so it didn't take huge modifications (that could have destroyed the car's pace completely). It's nice to see the car have a good aero package and a nice bit of power from the engine, too.

[Stealthgate007]

If Brawn GP have an excellent season this year, I bet Honda will regret pulling out of F1.

I was thinking the same thing.. I bet they are looking at team like a girlfriend they broke up with, that just got a boob job..

Hey, what's up with the announced new mini-drama?

DD I want to start a new one, but I've been kinda busy. And the closer we get to d-day the more I am loosing focus on the next installment.

I'll try and start one on my next vodka and soda night in..

[Bulletproof]

Hi people

My first post.

I have been a Jenson fan since his first race and it was him joining the ranks of F1 that first got me interested in the sport. I have followed his career with all the ups and downs through the years and although the last few have been pretty hard for him (and Honda) I still enjoyed gunning for him throughout the seasons. So when I heard that Honda had pulled out I was gutted and was not really looking forward to the season as much as I would have.

So I kept up to date with all the ongoings over the winter and must admit I was getting to the point where I thought that they might not make it back.

And now after following this weeks test I'm pretty ecstatic. It looks as though the newly formed "BrawnGP" is on the money (thanks to all the cash and development Honda have pumped in, with the right people this time) and Button is back on the track in a car that might finally give him the tools to show what he can really do.
(although feet are still firmly on the ground things are lookg good)

Now I just can't wait till the start of the season!!!!!!!!

[EwanM]

Yo Bulletproof.

Get your money on Brawn for Melbourne win!
March 13, 2009 by James Allen

It’s official! The Brawn is the fastest car in the F1 field with two weeks to go before the start of the season! It is an extraordinary story.

The Barcelona test, which finished on Thursday, could well go down as one of the most remarkable events in recent F1 history, as a team which seemed dead in the water at Christmas, bounced back and not only set the fastest outright lap of the week, but showed that it is faster over the race distance than the Ferrari!

Amazingly for a brand new car, reliability was very good too. The car covered over 2,000 kilometres during the four days using the same Mercedes engine (!) and had very few technical issues.

It looks very much as though the battle for victory in Melbourne will be between Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, as long as the car lasts the distance. It has done two race distances in the last two days, so the omens are good. And the competition between the two Brawn drivers is fierce - yesterday Rubens was faster than Jenson was the day before over the long runs, but there was far less wind and the track was more rubbered in.

If you make a direct comparison between the race distance runs of Massa and Button on Wednesday and Barrichello on Thursday you see that Jenson does 19 laps below 1m 21, Barrichello does 14, while Massa manages just 2!

What is even more impressive is that on the 19th lap of his 20 lap first stint Rubens does a 1m 19.971 - startling proof that the Brawn looks after its tyres very well over a long run. The team really are in amazing shape! In contrast the Ferrari’s lap times tail off into the 1m 22s at the end of the 20 lap stints.

If I get some time I’ll work out exactly how far ahead of the Ferrari the Brawn would have been over a race distance.

In fact, so stunning was the Brawn’s pace in Barcelona, it has caused all the F1 teams to completely revise their targets for the season. As I write this, there are briefings going on in all the team’s factories as the full impact of the Barcelona data sinks in.

And don’t forget, Barcelona is a great yardstick for the season as it rewards aerodynamic efficiency and good tyre management, so if your car goes well there it’s going to go well at most places.

One team engineer I spoke to remembers an meeting last season when the then Honda engineers said that they were going to be a long way ahead in 2009. Given where they were at the time, everyone laughed it off. They are not laughing now.

www.jamesallenonf1.com

[EwanM]

It seems Brawn are not getting the credit they deserve. An engine is a critical component of the car. Contrary to what some have suggested, redesigning a car for a new engine is not simply a case of how to fit the engine in the car and get the drivetrain sorted. Engines have different weights, power, torque etc., so numerous parts of the car need to be adjusted and redesigned, otherwise the car's weight distribution, suspension settings, traction etc. will all over the place. You only need to look at McLaren from 1994 to 1996 inclusive to see that. Given Brawn didn't have a clue what engine they would be getting until very recently, and even if their times are not representative of the car's true pace, they've done very well.

Indeed. Fortunately, the Mercedes engine is said to be similar in size and shape to the Honda unit, so it didn't take huge modifications (that could have destroyed the car's pace completely). It's nice to see the car have a good aero package and a nice bit of power from the engine, too.

It wasn't an impossible task. And as it turns out the Mercedes engine is giving them huge performance gains.

[scotty]

What is even more impressive is that on the 19th lap of his 20 lap first stint Rubens does a 1m 19.971 - startling proof that the Brawn looks after its tyres very well over a long run. The team really are in amazing shape! In contrast the Ferrari’s lap times tail off into the 1m 22s at the end of the 20 lap stints.

Wow, that is proof of their pace for me....

[EwanM]

Will this happen in Australia then?

Well minus the Mclarens

[McLaren Fan]

Will this happen in Australia then?

Well minus the Mclarens

Don't rub it in, like.

[cap-dude]

Reading Allens blog, Brawn's pace is extraordinary to say the very least.

Not only that, BMW Ferrari and Toyota are done testing. Brawn still have Jerez. 4 days there I think. To think that either Jenson or Rubens could be world champion by the end of the year is just. Gawd. I'll still be supporting Felipe Massa all the way. But the way people are talking is as though Brawn have just gone out and a build a car as fast as the Ferrari F2004 was.

Argg, only 2 weeks to go now. Hurry up F1.

[Rivelution]

I kinda wish Brawn GP sandbagged so that we could've had an ultimate surprise in Melbourne, but with the lack of testing time the team couldnt afford to do it.

Is anyone else surprised that the other teams havent copied the diffusers from Brawn, Toyota, and Williams yet?

[Bulletproof]

All seems rather unbelievable. I can't wait for the first race now. Might have to get myself down to the bookies and place my first ever F1 bet on Jenson winning in Australia!!!

However I am still keeping my feet on the ground as although the recent test pace was pretty much mind blowing and all the signs look very good indeed some caution should be maintained about all this winning talk.
But I'm just happy we have what seems to be a really competitive car and Jens and Rubens wont be languishing down the bottom of the field for a change. YES!!

[scotty]

All seems rather unbelievable. I can't wait for the first race now. Might have to get myself down to the bookies and place my first ever F1 bet on Jenson winning in Australia!!!

Hurry! i put a bet on Barichello to win a race this season yesterday, i got 5/1 and my timing was good because he's now 10/3... quite a drop.

[Denthúl]

I kinda wish Brawn GP sandbagged so that we could've had an ultimate surprise in Melbourne, but with the lack of testing time the team couldnt afford to do it.

Is anyone else surprised that the other teams havent copied the diffusers from Brawn, Toyota, and Williams yet?

It would be quite an alteration, I think, given the way that they have used loopholes to make them larger than the regulations state.

All seems rather unbelievable. I can't wait for the first race now. Might have to get myself down to the bookies and place my first ever F1 bet on Jenson winning in Australia!!!

Hurry! i put a bet on Barichello to win a race this season yesterday, i got 5/1 and my timing was good because he's now 10/3... quite a drop.

The other day I could've had 199/1 odds on him winning the championship. Now I can get 33/1

[welshie]

Still worth a couple of quid though, even at 33/1!!