Brawn turns it on: Upstart F1 team shocks Ferrari, attracts Virgin

5/5/09
richard branson
By Max J. Dickstein

Brawn turns it on: Upstart F1 team shocks Ferrari, attracts Virgin

Jenson Button of Brawn GP won his third race in Bahrain on April 26. (Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

In a development as shocking as the upstart Tampa Bay Rays’ 2008 pennant at the expense of the Yankees and Red Sox, rookie Formula One outfit Brawn GP has claimed three wins out of this season’s first four races.

While traditional F1 powers Ferrari and McLaren lick early-season wounds to their pride, F1-leading Brawn GP is negotiating a long-term sponsorship deal with the Virgin Group this week heading into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, where top driver Jenson Button is looking for his fourth victory of 2009.

Ross Brawn, a longtime Ferrari engineer, bought Honda’s team and installed Mercedes engines after Honda dropped out of F1 this winter amid economic jitters. His drivers’ success stunned the sport; since the top-level racing circuit’s launch in 1950, no Formula One team had debuted with consecutive victories.

“I have been impressed by Ross Brawn’s technical genius, organizational ability and his guts to go out and bid for the team,” said Richard Branson, president and founder of the Virgin Group. “It is a rare combination and he deserves his success.”

The success of Branson’s fellow British entrepreneur has Virgin negotiating a broader sponsorship deal with Brawn, one that might pave the way for a Virgin F1 team, Branson added.

As the 17-race series moves to Europe, Brawn GP may find its rivals waking from their spring slumber. But the team’s lightning debut has shaken up the sport. From 1998-2008, all but two of the circuit’s champions drove for Ferrari (6) or McLaren (3).

And after pouncing early, journeymen Brawn drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, Nos. 1 and 2 in the F1 driver standings, face the challenge of maintaining their team’s championship lead through the summer.
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richard branson

Brawn turns it on: Upstart F1 team shocks Ferrari, attracts Virgin

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