Gli ingegneri devono aver fatto un errore di calcolo!

Jerez de la Frontera in Spain in March 2009: Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in the Red Bull RB5 with 1:19.055 minutes ahead of Timo Glock in the first major group test of Formula 1. About 1,750 kilometers further north in Brackley, England, this news caused dismay among the employees of the new Brawn Racing team.

At that time, the former Honda Works team had gone through several nerve-wracking weeks of uncertainty after Honda suddenly announced its exit in December 2008. However, Team Principal Ross Brawn continued with the team and led it independently.

Now, with a completed car, just three weeks before the start of the 2009 season, major doubts arose for Brawn.

In the Disney documentary “Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story,” team boss Brawn explained: “We didn’t know what we had done wrong. Our simulations had shown that we would be one to 1.5 seconds faster than the competition.”

This revelation led to self-doubt within the team. Long-time Formula 1 engineer Jock Clear expressed skepticism and told the engineers, “You must have miscalculated! We can’t be two seconds faster than everyone else!”

This uncertainty led to mixed feelings within the Brawn team. The staff questioned whether they had made a massive mistake or if they had something truly exceptional in front of them.

Brawn had his engineers review all data once again, and the result confirmed that they were still two seconds faster than the competition. This realization hinted that something extraordinary was on the horizon. The team had only completed a brief shakedown with the Brawn BGP 001 and had not yet conducted real tests, leaving questions about how the car would perform with the Mercedes engine for which it was not originally designed.

With the first Formula 1 group test involving Brawn taking place in Barcelona from March 9 to 12, 2009, the Brawn Racing car not only proved to be durable, but also set the trend by finishing with Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button at the top of the timesheets. This success dispelled any doubts about the capabilities of the BGP 001.

Following successful tests in Jerez, the Brawn Racing team embarked on the 2009 season in Australia. With the innovative double diffuser at the rear of the car, a loophole in the technical regulations of Formula 1, Brawn Racing made history by achieving a double victory in the Australian Grand Prix and ultimately winning both World Championship titles.

This unique success story continued as Mercedes purchased the team in 2009 and has since led it as the Mercedes works team, currently the most successful team in the Turbo-Hybrid era since 2014.