Ross Brawn: ‘Don’t let us down by taking fairy-tale win away’

13 April 2012

Formula One team owner Ross Brawn has revealed his "concern" that the FIA may strip Britain's Jenson Button of his sensational victory in the Australian Grand Prix and leave the sport battling for its credibility.

Brawn, who just three weeks ago saved the financially-crippled Honda team from folding with an 11th-hour buy-out, described the astonishing one-two finish for Button and Brazilian team-mate Rubens Barrichello as a "fairy-tale".

But he now fears a nightmare scenario in which the FIA, the sports' governing body, will uphold a protest over the technical legality of his cars, made by rival teams Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull.

Incredibly, third-placed world champion Lewis Hamilton, who went into the race in Melbourne fearing his McLaren was so uncompetitive that it wouldn't score a single point, could be declared winner of the opening round of the new title chase if the two Brawn GP drivers are disqualified when an FIA Court of Appeal sits in Paris on 14 April.

FIA officials must decide if Grand Prix stewards in Australia were right to accept that the diffusers — a vital part of the aerodynamic package — fitted to the cars of Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams, conformed to the rules.

Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull — who claim the diffusers at the centre of the dispute offer a significant performance advantage — subsequently appealed against that stewards' ruling. The three affected teams were still allowed to race, in the knowledge that they could be scrubbed from the results. And what drama ensued.

Button drove a brilliant race from pole position to claim only his second win in 156 starts. When Barrichello came through to second place after the BMW-Sauber of Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull collided in the closing laps, it was the first time a team had taken a one-two finish on their debut since Mercedes achieved the feat in France 55 years ago.

For Formula One, whose credibility is so often tainted by controversy, it was a timely
feel-good result. But Brawn, the technical genius who guided Michael Schumacher to his record seven world titles, is afraid that an FIA ruling that goes against his drivers could drag the sport back down. "We're concerned about the appeal," he said. "I hope we don't shoot ourselves in the foot and do something which damages Formula One. I don't think there should be any issues with the result.

"The stewards told us that our cars were legal and we have to assume we can go on their advice."
Button backed his boss. He said: "At the moment, I'm enjoying this victory because it is a victory and I think it should stand, for sure."

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Ross Brawn: ‘Don’t let us down by taking fairy-tale win away’

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