GP2 Forum

So we have a new team, and they have a new car... The BGP 001.



I love the white, black and florescent yellow colour scheme. Let's hope they keep it!!!!

Official website: http://www.brawngp.com/

First test news: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=45222

For sure BrawnGP will be the most beautiful car for 2009 season, but this cars will not one of the fastest...

Good Lucky for our hero, Rubens Barrichello, in his last F-1 season. Maybe he left F-1 as Coulthard did last year, with a previous anouncement of his retirement and make his last GP with honours.

It is a very cool colour scheme (shades of early 80's Renault there) but we all know as soon as a backer comes along it'll be history!

Nice to get confirmation of this, finally... the really difficult and complex part for the team has really just begun, though, now they have to get ready competitively and try to make it through the season in a good way.

Barrichello looking at Button in that one photograph is priceless, in my opinion. He really seems to be looking forward to being in a cockpit again.

Part of me is delighted by Jenson, Rubens and indeed Ross Brawn that they've managed it, but all three of their reputations within the sport hang on this car at this moment. I'd love to be optimistic because they all deserve to succeed, but I'm not going to enjoy it until I see the car in qualifying in Melbourne.

AD wrote:Barrichello looking at Button in that one photograph is priceless, in my opinion. He really seems to be looking forward to being in a cockpit again.

Too right! He's one of the best out there! And much more deserving of the drive than Bruno Senna!!!! Just because his surname is Senna, doesn't mean he'll be that good. He needs another year to prove himself by becoming GP2 champion.

Antonio Pessoa wrote:Good Lucky for our hero, Rubens Barrichello, in his last F-1 season. Maybe he left F-1 as Coulthard did last year, with a previous anouncement of his retirement and make his last GP with honours.

I agree. He should retire gracefully while he has the chance. Then maybe he should consider Indycar. Or NASCAR. What chance he'll be talking more to Juan-Pablo Montoya this year.....

Guys,

While I am obviously delighted that the team has survived, I have concerns!

But on a positive note, if you think carefully about it, rumour has it that Honda began developing their '09 car in May 2008, a full 2 months before anyone else.
Now, they've not tested for roughly two months and apparantly they did still develop the car car during december (alongside their rivals). So, there is a small chance that they may not be all that far behind the front...
I know, I know, but think back to the comments Ross was making prior to Dec 5th announcement...

God it would be a miracle if it happened, but shit, if you'd have told me Nigel Mansell would drive for McLaren one day, i'd have thought you be mad!!!!!!!!!!

Now, negatives...

Lets say the car is bad, my immidate question is this: Will the only man who can lead them out of a bad patch, be there to help them? Or will he e too busy finalising deals with sponsors etc.

You see, Brawn's responsibilities will have changed I'd have thought. And if they have and the car isn't very good out of the box, if I were Jenson, I'd seriously speak with Frank and get a drive organised for 2010 at Williams...

By the way, I'm going to be watching Toyota VERY carefully this year.
Why?
Cos I think before the season is out, they'll announce the closure of their factory team and a new announcement confirming their exclusive Works engine deal with Williams. Or their total exit...

Why?

The only reason they came into F1, the only reason they went into Champ Cars...
HONDA.
They've gone, so now their main Japanese rival has no competition, and if they don't win races this year, the board will probably make the same decision the Honda board took, with the same ruthlessness!


Thoughts?

I TOTALLY AGREE!!

Toyota will be dead before next year if they don't win.

Mind you, F1 may be on its last legs if Toyota snuff it. Oh, and Jenson shouldn't go to Williams at all. They don't have long either.

He should REALLY be talking to Ron Dennis about an all-British McLaren team. Jenson and Lewis together would be amazing......

Nah I reckon Toyota and F1 still have a future together. Honda haven't been anywhere near NASCAR or Le Mans but Toyota have, and have been successful at both. They don't necessarily need Honda to fight against. Plus Toyota own the Fuji circuit if memory serves, I can't see them having a track on the F1 calendar but not having any cars to race on it, especially if predictions of a good 2009 are correct.

And anyway, I imagine Honda will be back eventually, they're very much a racing company like BMW, perhaps once the new IRL rules come into force it will free up some of that all-important marketing cash for another crack at F1, as they'll not be supplying the whole IRL grid any more.

Barrichello said to Brazilian press last year he hasn't any intention to driver in IndyCar Series, because his wife, Silvania, is affraid about an accident on the oval tracks.

Silvania had an cousin, Felipe Giaffone, who run at IndyCar between 2001 and 2004, won 1 race (Kentucky 2002) and he was injuried at 2003 Kansas 300 when he crashed together with Dan Wheldon just after the start, and broke the legs.

Today there's much more security on IndyCar races than 2003, but isn't enough for Barrichello, a almost 37 years-old F1 veteran.

For the marketing, the Barrichello's presence would be amazing for the series and for Brazilian fans. But his family is most important, and probably after F1 Barrichello will be playing golf.

PS: Barrichello is much better than Bruno Senna. Bruno have to show his real skill as driver, he never won championships as professional driver, and his career up to F1 just by the shadow of his killed uncle. Is a little bit worst than Nelson Piquet Jr, than got an F1 car for the presence of his winner father.

There's too many hungry young nutters in IndyCars for a veteran like Barrichello to come into it safely and competitively. I reckon he'd be much more suited to LMP or GT racing. Be nice to see Coulthard there too.

GREAT

Only some sponsors on this livery and i'm happy!

I really wonder how they want to finance the team... I think the whole project is a very difficult one in times of economic crisis. When coasts for F1-racing in general will be lowered and the performance in 2009 is good, the team might have a chance to exist-on and maybe one day will be sold to a company or a billionaire... For the present I guess that some of the 700 employers will have to leave and the team has to be made more efficient.

Button and Barrichello are a good choice, although I would have liked Senna in F1, because I think he deserved it by his talent, performance and learning curve over the last years.

BTW: This thread is absolutely in the wrong forum...........
It should be moved to Motorsport - General Forum!

V12-Power wrote: BTW: This thread is absolutely in the wrong forum...........
It should be moved to Motorsport - General Forum!

done

Testing looks encouraging so far, no major problems and Button topped the timesheets! Of course fuel loads will be different and such and such (I'm sure we all remember Prost GP's sensational test times at the start of the 2001 season) but it's still fairly promising.