Brawn GP Impresses Immediately

"If everyone knew how much fuel we had on board, they would be surprised. Even our engine partner Mercedes didn't believe it when we told them." said Ross Brawn as he spoke to Auto Motor und Sport about the pace of the BGP 001 on its first proper test day.

This basically sums up the performance of Brawn GP's 2009 challenger right out of the box, as Rubens Barrichello backed up Monday's performance with the third best time of the day. While still early days, it's impressive to see that the reliability issues with this car have been almost nothing to speak of. And as miles are logged and the setup is refined, the pace can only improve.

It can almost be said that tumultuous as it was, Brawn GP has had an ideal timeline. Having started work on the car before the other teams and with Honda's resources, the fundamental design was done properly. Now, with F1 budgets being slashed and a ban on in-season testing, Ross and his crew stand a very good chance of matching the development pace of the top teams. It wouldn't be surprising to see some sponsors on the car after the Australian GP.

Brawn GP Hits the Track

Just minutes after the announcement that the former Honda team has become Brawn GP, Jenson Button shook down the new BGP 001 at Silverstone. The car features a simple, yet striking new white livery with black and fluorescent yellow accents. The most surprising thing is that this new car does not look like it was the product of a team that was in doubt for the last three months. The front wing detail is one of the most intricate we've seen so far, and the rest of the car already looks fairly developed. I'll even say that this, to me, is the best looking car we've seen for 2009. One hopes that the car will go as well as it looks, and some seem to think so already. A poll on the official Formula 1 website shows that more than half the people surveyed think the car will score more points than last year.

While it is no surprise that the car is using Mercedes power, it is notable that the car uses a modified version of the gearbox that was to be used with the Honda-powered RA109. Noticeably absent is the KERS warning sticker meaning the team will not be running the system initially like many other privateer teams. Continuity is crucial in a team like this, so Rubens will be in the cockpit for what is most likely his last season. We'll see how things turn out for the new team in about three weeks...