Assessment: Brawn GP suffered from the cold again

Brawn GP had a disappointing Grand Prix this weekend, despite both drivers finishing in the points by the end of the German race. Button finished 5th, ahead of Barrichello.

The two drivers were on a three-stop strategy and started the race on soft tires. Barrichello had a good start, leading the race, while Button lost several positions. Both drivers only switched to hard tires during their last stint, knowing they didn’t suit them.

Starting second and third, the two drivers lost positions due to a less advantageous strategy and a lack of performance on hard tires in cold conditions. The team remains the championship leader, but sees its lead diminish significantly with Red Bull.

Jenson Button – 5th:

« All the points are important, but my race started badly and I couldn’t do better today. I had a bad start. Fortunately, I was able to overtake Massa immediately, but Kovalainen blocked me for a long time. Then I was unable to pass him due to problems with our tires. Both compounds didn’t work as well as we wanted this afternoon. We had graining and premature degradation. Then, my teammate had a problem with his refueling, which handicapped me because he came out in front of me. As a result, I wasn’t comfortable giving my best, especially since we had the hard tires… which weren’t heating up. »

So a disappointing day for the whole team, but I am still happy for Mark [Webber]. I know how he feels. I am also looking forward to being in Hungary. We will have new parts and, above all, warmer weather to be able to beat the Red Bulls.

Rubens Barrichello – 6th:

« I had a good start, and I’m happy to have been able to lead on the first lap, despite my collision with Webber. So, finishing 6th seems like a really bad result to me… It’s a combination of things, now known to the team. We weren’t fast enough compared to the Red Bulls, but I think my problem in the pits with the fuel cost me a place on the podium. »

« 9a made me lose a place to Rosberg, and Jenson [Button]’s very good out lap might have allowed him to overtake me as well. Now we need to forget this race and focus on Hungary to beat the Red Bulls. Congratulations, however, to Webber for his first victory. »

Ross Brawn – Director:

« Certainly, it’s a disappointing weekend for us, even though we scored some points, which limits the damage in the championships. We simply weren’t fast enough today; then the conditions meant that Button and Barrichello ran part of their race side by side. They compromised their strategies and, combined with issues in the pits, several positions were lost… »

« We will see and understand why, so that it does not happen again, and we will return to Hungary with the desire to beat the Red Bull. Congratulations to them and to Webber. »