FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[FerrariFan63]

It's often said that you can easily have a reliable car if you have a performance margin over your competitors. You can back off on various things like engines, make bits stronger, etc. if you have the performance to still win despite less ability to move weight around.

It this the case with Brawn? They have won every dry race so far. Perhaps if they needed to, they could push the boat out a bit further and go even faster.

[bud]

Yeah i think this is true, while the others are pushing to the max just to catch up, Brawn are just coasting along. And in this kind of instance there is less pressure so less mistakes and stronger results. So until someone can outpace them, its going to continue this way.

[Gert]

They seem to have some margin in hand at the moment & as the regs seem to be changing again I suspect a lot of teams are using this year's budget already on next year's - if nothing else it might help them get around any budget capping that might be forced on them which could mean the season is effictively Brawn's.

[myownalias]

Ross Brawn made the best interpretation of the new rules for 2009 and with the excellent Mercedes engine makes it a very competitive package. I don't believe they are running less revs on the engine because for the most part the Red Bulls are keeping Brawn on their toes. And I expect Ferrari to be resurgent very soon; McLaren seem to be in the wilderness right now even with the same engine as the Brawn because of a really bad aero/chassis package. Brawn are not that far ahead of their closest competitors.

[scotty]

Their margin is quite simply the tyre treatment over longer runs... they've been run close in qualifying!

[RA Dunk]

they've been run close in qualifying!

Every team has been close in qualifying TBH, its just that Brawn keep edging it week in week out, the qualifying is probably better than the actual race this season due to this

[f1ea]

they've been run close in qualifying!

Every team has been close in qualifying TBH, its just that Brawn keep edging it week in week out, the qualifying is probably better than the actual race this season due to this

But Brawn ussualy has the heaviest cars and safer strategy; while the teams closest to them in Q are running pretty aggressive stuff.
I think Brawn has a margin, and it shows in their dominance, reliability and conservative approach. This margin will probably not be eternal... but as far as the championships go, they pretty much have them in the bag.

[texasmr2]

Yes they do have a margin because they have the best engine and the most competative chassis and aero package. scotty and myownalias hit the nail on the head.

[cap-dude]

I think Brawn do have a Margin. And that Margin is having double the points that Red Bull have right now.

But in terms of performance. The Brawn is unique in the way it handles. The car looks so much more stable with heavy fuel loads. In Q2, Brawn have only ever dominated once, and that was in australia. Look at Q2 for most of the season. There has always been another team beating Brawn or at the very least challenging. But then comes Q3, and Brawn qualify on the front row, sometimes even with a heavier fuel load.

Therefore the rules play right into Brawn's hands. If qualifying stopped at Q2 and there was no Q3. Brawn would not be starting on the front row at nearly every race.

Not only that, Brawn are consistent. They are fast at every circuit, where as teams like Toyota, Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull have a tendency to come and go. So Brawn would clearly have to make some major mistakes to lose this championship. But lets be honest here, is that likely.

[darwin dali]

But lets be honest here, is that likely.

Nah, not with Ross at the helm

[Bulletproof]

they've been run close in qualifying!

Every team has been close in qualifying TBH, its just that BUTTON keeps edging it week in week out, the qualifying is probably better than the actual race this season due to this

Just tweaked that a little for you!!

[headless]

They seem to have some margin in hand at the moment & as the regs seem to be changing again I suspect a lot of teams are using this year's budget already on next year's - if nothing else it might help them get around any budget capping that might be forced on them which could mean the season is effictively Brawn's.

But if that is the case and they are allowed to do that, I would put money on Ross Brawn being one of the top dogs at it???

[Jensonb]

The Brawn is far nicer to its tyres even when being pushed hard in a long stint. This, combined with their fundamentally high pace, means they don't have to run to the maximum 100% of the time.

So yes, they do have a margin. Jenson didn't win 3 races on 1 engine by accident.

[Gaz]

The Brawn is far nicer to its tyres even when being pushed hard in a long stint. This, combined with their fundamentally high pace, means they don't have to run to the maximum 100% of the time.

So yes, they do have a margin. Jenson didn't win 3 races on 1 engine by accident.

not sure myself margin's are flexible.

i think they have a RACE PACE margin but not a qualifying one.

[headless]

It depends from one circuit to another.