Ross Brawn speaks to Martin Brundle about his hopes for F1
Monday 3 April 2017 12:07, UK
In an interview with Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle, new F1 sporting chief Ross Brawn discussed his vision for the future, his hopes for the sport and replacing Bernie Ecclestone...
Ross Brawn: "It's a really exciting time. What I'm excited about is different perspectives that people like Chase [Carey] and Sean [Bratches] bring to F1. As an industry we've been fairly insular over the years.
"Of course not all their ideas are going to run well in F1, but they've got lots of great ideas and philosophies and I think if you take a philosophy of really taking the sport to the fans, then everything else will start to fall into place. But to take it to the fans you've got to have good racing."
RB: "What we fundamentally have at the moment is a very wide spread of resources between the teams, and if you've got a very wide spread of resources, ie people and money, then you'll get a wide spread of times, so you don't get great racing.
"The drivers often comment that they're spending time in the race just managing the tyres, car, fuel and brakes, and when you get an exercise in two drivers trying to race each other, managing everything is not what we want to see.
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"When you improve that you improve everything else down the line in getting manufacturers and sponsors keen on the sport, and perhaps we've lost sight of that in the last few years."
RB: "One of the challenges in F1 is the governance system. We have a strong system which requires the teams, the FIA and ourselves to work together to evolve the sport.
"So far the teams have been very positive about change, and if we can keep everyone positive and thinking how we can move the sport forward, then we can make some changes."
RB: "We're pretty fluid. Chase is our chairman and CEO, and there's a number of things which are very distinct that he takes care of. I'm sporting and racing, so anything to do with what goes on with surrounding the track and the cars. Shaun is looking after the commercial side."
RB: "We all know what an amazing job Bernie did over the years. But what I do was just not done at all from an FOM (Formula One Management) side. So my tasks and objectives simply weren't covered.
"Bernie's input into the regulations or sport tended to be reactive when he saw things he didn't like. I'm hoping we can steer things much sooner so we don't get things we don't like."
RB: "My nirvana is we have an affordable engine, which still appeals to manufacturers but is a business model which can be produced by an Ilmor, a Cosworth or an independent supplier.
"I think we then have to work out what it is about the cars we want to be distinct amongst the teams."
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