Andrew Reid: Curb Your Enthusiasm

This blog is a preview of my new F1 website, starting soon at www.brawnf1blog.com

McLaren - what has gone wrong? The most resourceful F1 team on the grid, with the biggest budget has got it wrong. At least it seems for all the world that way from winter testing.

Testing comparisons are often misleading but I am reliably informed Brawn’s hot times were done with a respectable 50kg of fuel onboard. McLaren, at their best couldn’t get within a second of this. The team spent most of the winter puffing and painting around the track 2 seconds back from the front. That puts them in Force India or Super Aguri territory. Incredible.

That the clear pace setter in such a competitive field was fighting for it’s very survival just last month is even more remarkable. But it’s about time Jenson Button had a car able to portray his talent in a fresh light. Just how good is Jenson Button? This year, thanks to Brawn GP, we may well find out.

With the fuss over McLaren’s disarray and Brawn’s jubilation, it’s easy to forget the other half of the winter story - that of Renault, who found themselves in a McLaren-like position during the first few tests before turning things around very suddenly and that of Red Bull, who’s stunning looking Adrian Newey designed challenger was undoubtedly putting in Brawn style performances earlier in testing. This story is by no means over.

Drivers like Vettel and Alonso clearly have more to add.

Williams & Toyota meanwhile also have potential to surprise although my source at Williams suggests internal politics and leadership issues are effecting the team. Maybe the great Sir Frank Williams does not have the single-handed control over the team’s direction any more, in the same way that Patrick Head cannot dictate the technical side as masterly as he did in more straight-forward eras.

Meanwhile BMW have had a low key winter in many respects, at least in that their pace has neither been bad nor stunningly good. The journalists seem unwilling to notice BMW, or indeed even The Red Barons, whom I suspect will more likely put a damper on the revolution come the Australian Grand Prix next weekend. The Red Barons have a habit of doing that.

But it’s worth keeping in mind that despite a few incredible times from Brawn, the majority of winter testing has been incredibly hard to call.

And it’s not the first time McLaren have sandbagged during the winter, allowing others to steal the limelight to attract sponsors.

So take this revolution with a pinch of salt. Brawn GP - more so than anyone else, need new sponsors!