THE FACTS

Amid growing reports that Mercedes Grand Prix will undergo a major restructuring for 2011, team principal Ross Brawn has played down any speculation that he may be leaving the German team. "I will not resign until this team is successful" he told German media.

By all reports - however - Brawn's position is far from locked in and his exact role with the team in 2011 is uncertain. Most suspect that if Brawn's role is to be anything less than team principal, he will definitely leave. Nevertheless, it does not appear that Brawn is going anywhere in the short term as he continues to express his excitement about the upcoming season.

In addition, Brawn has been quick to shoot down any hope that Mercedes might replicate the miracle season he had with his namesake team in 2009. "We won't experience this fairytale of 2009 for a second time." Brawn said "But I'm sure we'll have a very good car. We'll only know how good when we drive it. If it's as good as we think it is, then we've also the organization in the back to develop it during the season."

MY TAKE

Ross Brawn has earned his stripes. He was the force behind all seven of Michael Schumacher's World Championships at Benetton and Ferrari - not to mention Jenson Button's shocking 2009 campaign. Yet - ironically - it is his affiliation with Schumacher that might be his undoing at Mercedes. No one at Mercedes pushed harder for Schumacher's return to F1 than Brawn. And since Michael returned, Brawn has done nothing but make excuses for why Schumi has been so god awful. The most recent excuse has been that Schumacher lacked a proper simulator (see SOURCES below). You must be kidding me.

By anyone's reckoning, Mercedes was the most disappointing team on the grid in 2010. While they ended up fourth in the constructor's standing, the gap between the German team and its closest rival is simply too large to bridge in one season. Number two man Nico Rosberg has already expressed dissatisfaction with the new Pirelli tire and has been conspicuously absent as a Schumacher apologist. All of this adds up to trouble for Mercedes. In the end, Brawn is as good a fall guy as anyone. As they say, the bigger they come, the harder they fall.

I like Ross Brawn. But he is being a bit vague and misleading in his remarks. He says he won't leave until Mercedes is "successful." Well, "success" can be defined in many different ways. Michael Schumacher wasn't killed during his nightmare return to F1. I suppose that could be considered a "success."

In the end, I think that Ross Brawn is better suited for a smaller, upstart team where he can have more control and make fewer excuses. Mercedes was never a good fit for him.

Just my take.

SOURCES

Ross Brawn Plays Down Speculation Over His Mercedes Future - ESPNF1.com

Schumacher struggled without top driver simulator - Brawn - Motorsport.com

 

Brawn's excuses go well with Shuey's Rossisque "always smile for the camera even things are horrible" attitude...

 

^^ That could be a problem for Ross.

Ross Brawn Not Smiling



Ross Brawn Smiling