Much as one respects Ross Brawn and his various achievements in motorsport, one cannot help but feel that he is increasingly becoming more and more of a PR man for the sport's powers-that-be.

With Liberty Media still to present a solid proposal for the sport post-2020 in terms of technical and engine regulations, not to mention the restructuring of the prize money, Brawn claims that the success of the regulations - whatever they might be - will be measured by new teams seeking to enter the sport.

His comment comes just days after Force India was rescued from administration and at a time Williams and McLaren are making no secret of their need for a greater slice of the prize pot despite their continuing poor form. Then there's his claim that F1 could be all-electric within the next ten years, a claim promptly knocked back by Formula E founder Alejandro Agag.

"Quite frankly, I can't see a new team coming in today because the revenue distribution and commercial distribution of funds and the technical regulations are too daunting," he tells the official F1 website's Fan Voice.

"We want to create an environment where there is a queue of professional organisations wanting to own and be a Formula One team.

"We have always had this margin of teams at the bottom of Formula One that are hanging on with their finger nails, and often falling, and we want quality competitors, not just people making up the numbers and saying they are in Formula One if they can't step up.

"We want the professional, well-financed, well-structured teams to be entering Formula One in the future and that will be a measure of our success.

"But they won't come in today," he admitted. "I hope we can create the environment by then that makes it more appealing."

The delay in the engine regulations, while already causing Ferrari and Mercedes to doubt their futures in the sport, is also causing Renault and Honda to get anxious, the French manufacturer, in particular, arguing that the clock is already ticking.

However, with the powers-that-be now likely to go back on the original plan of ditching the MGU-H, as time drags on there are calls for the engine rules to be left as is rather than have manufacturers building power units to two different sets of regulations.

Interestingly, Brawn claims that the teams and manufacturers are finally coming around to the idea that the FIA and Liberty know best and that they will fall in line with the proposals.

"I don't have any major concerns, but we respect the teams," he said. "They are putting a huge investment and a huge effort into Formula One, so we have to respect them.

"We have to respect their opinions and we have to respect their involvement. I think those teams will also say they know Formula One needs some direction from ourselves and the FIA. You see it in their relationships between the teams and you will see there are periods when some teams are aligned and some periods when they are not aligned and that will be to do with the on-track action or other things that are going on.

"I know as a team I was not always in the best place to know what is best for Formula One because I was always absorbed in my own objectives and ambitions within the team. Formula One needs the commercial rights holder and the FIA to encourage the teams to come with us and I think they recognise that as well.

"They are part of the process, there are plenty of meetings going on and lots of discussion going on. They are engaged and I have to say in the last few weeks and months that I have got a lot more comfortable that we are all going to hold hands together and go through this process."

LATEST NEWS

more news >

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

Click to go to the main galleries section

READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by FQITW, 13/08/2018 13:18

"Brawn claims that ‘the success of the regulations - whatever they might be - will be measured by new teams seeking to enter the sport’.

Not so.
It will depend first on if people can still be bothered to watch it.
Already the engines look like staying the same, the strangling rules will only be tinkered with (as no one can agree on anything) and pay to view will only increase.
In addition Liberty will continue to spend big we presume.

So what will change to make ‘a queue’ of ready made teams start chomping at the bit from 2021 onwards?

Not a lot by the looks of it.
"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by FQITW, 13/08/2018 13:17

"@TestaRossa
"So the new bosses talk and talk and talk what should happen in the future.

But the old boss is minding the store and saves a team NOW"
Well said!
"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

3. Posted by Editor, 13/08/2018 8:56

"@ imejl99

Basically, you have taken the words right out of my mouth."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

4. Posted by imejl99, 13/08/2018 7:59

"@elsiebc

I find your example quite confusing. Remember Brawn? I Remember it quite well - Brawn bought (got) Honda Racing F1 Team worth app 200 million for 1£ , run it on Honda money and sold it for 150 million. Also remember Honda Racing F1 team`s budged for 2007 of app 200 million... Without any doubt blown diffuser, double diffuser, was remarkable technical solution, but developed with quite a lot of (someone else`s) money.

So, is Brawn example for "one of those also rans become World Champions" if injected with (modestly estimated) half a billion, or Mr Brawn is example for hypocrite?"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

5. Posted by elsiebc, 13/08/2018 2:58

"Teams "hanging on by their fingernails" is part of the exclusivity. If any "professional, well-financed, well-structured team" can enter and compete at the front, what is that which separates? The drivers? This is supposed to be a constructors championship, not a spec series. Open up the rules more and the likelihood of another team stumbling upon something the others didn't goes up, and one of those also rans become World Champions. Remember Brawn?"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

6. Posted by BillH, 12/08/2018 18:13

"If a remake of the old Richard Prior film "Brewsters Millions" was to happen today, the plot would be ruined quite simply by Brewster just saying "I'll go race in Formula 1". He'd have no worries what so ever in spending a ton of dosh in a short amount of time.
I do agree with Brawn that no-one will enter now however I think that is mainly due to cost. There is still plenty of ego's out there that will enter and not worry too much about moving up the grid per se.
Put it this way, will Force India really threaten the top three teams? Perhaps, one day, but unlikely, yet a consortium has just bought in. Maybe they are waiting for the mystical 2020 regulations to level the playing field?
@Tardis40 is right, very hard to find a race where the whole grid is competitive.
That being said, an earlier article about the old BMW Pro Series would be fun to watch.

"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

7. Posted by Tardis40, 12/08/2018 14:37

"Show me a motorsport series anywhere in which the entire grid is competitive. It's pie in the sky."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

8. Posted by *TestaRossa*, 12/08/2018 13:42

"So the new bosses talk and talk and talk what should happen in the future.

But the old boss is minding the store and saves a team NOW"

Rating: Positive (3) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

9. Posted by Greg, 12/08/2018 12:32

"Have to agree. Sounds like another Liberty PR sound bite"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

Brawn: New teams will mark success of 2021 rules shake-up

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

POST A COMMENT

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

Share this page