Brawn promises more to come in 2010

Ross Brawn believes his team could be in even better shape next season as it will not have to rush its engine installation as it did during its tumultuous 2008/2009 winter.


This time last year the squad was thrown into turmoil when Honda pulled out of Formula 1.


Its ultimately title winning 2009 car was already designed, but Honda's exit meant a change to Mercedes engines - and although that didn't stop Brawn sweeping to the championship, the team boss felt the engine switch forced several compromises.


Brawn has now been able to plan its 2010 design around the Mercedes V8, and expects to gain from this.



"We've had a good run into installing this engine in the car now, so things like the cooling system, the exhaust system, the airbox - all those types of things have been developed more thoroughly on the new car," Brawn explained.


"The main thing for us is that it's the second year of working with Mercedes and it should be a much better installation because we've had an opportunity to begin early and have the sort of exhaust system we need, design the gearbox properly for the engine, design the chassis properly for the engine, put the right coolers on... so we should benefit from all those things."


Brawn reckons the hurried engine installation changes were part of the reason why the team was eventually overhauled by several rivals.


"I think in the early part of the year we had the quickest car, at the end we were in a group," he said.


"I think some of the compromises we made with the installation of the engine have hurt us too much."


The team benefited from a headstart this year because it had given up on its poor 2008 design early on and diverted maximum resources to the new car.


That wasn't the case this season, but Brawn said his squad had still managed to make great progress with its 2010 machine.


"We have been trying to balance what we do this year with next year," he said.


"We've not thrown everything at it, because we needed to get on with next year's car, and on balance we got away with it.


"Next year's cars have no refuelling, a different chassis shape and a different tyre size - quite a lot of differences.


"So because we don't want to be a one season wonder, we've had to make sure we can balance this year and next year."