Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn says Lewis Hamilton’s victory in last year’s Turkish Grand Prix refuted claims his success is a product of having the “best car”.
Hamilton clinched his seventh world championship with victory in the rain-hit race from sixth on the grid. The combination of a track surface which was already slippery due to late resurfacing work plus the wet conditions made for an extremely challenging race.His victory ensured he equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of winning seven Formula 1 titles. Brawn, who oversaw much of Schumacher’s success at Benetton and Ferrari, said it was a clear demonstration of Hamilton’s driving skills irrespective of the dominance of his Mercedes team.
“Lewis drove a brilliant race,” said Brawn in an exclusive interview for RaceFans. “If anyone questions that ‘he’s got the best car, he ought to win’, they ought to watch that race because that was a masterpiece.”
Hamilton took the chequered flag over half a minute ahead of the rest of the field. While some drivers were highly critical of the low grip conditions, Brawn said there were lessons F1 could learn from the unusual circumstances of the race.
“I think everybody took something away from that. It was interesting to me to see the more experienced drivers come to the fore there.”
Brawn said the race also showed that slowing the cars down – as is expected to happen when new technical regulations are introduced for the 2022 F1 season – may help improve the quality of racing.
“That’s another thing that we’ve sort of taken into consideration, that it doesn’t necessarily follow that producing the fastest lap time is going to produce the best race,” Brawn added.
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S
29th January 2021, 7:36
I saw the race. I saw lots of drivers driving very well, and some not so well.
And I also saw the conditions change, where Racing Point lost relative performance and it came back to Mercedes, who could afford to try something different with Bottas’ strategy to learn what to do with Hamilton.
The one part that Brawn got right there was the final part. The cars are too fast, and that is the prime reason why the racing is usually terrible.
Take downforce away, slow the cars down and make the drivers drive.
Rule no.1 for fixing F1: If the teams and drivers don’t like something – do it.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th January 2021, 8:08
@S The cars aren’t too fast. The speed isn’t the reason, but dependency on clean air because of how they’re designed aerodynamically.
S
29th January 2021, 8:18
Lower the speed, lower the aero dependency…
S
29th January 2021, 8:24
Additionally – lower the speed and there is far less need to neuter classic racing circuits, turning every track into a car park with a bunch of long straights into hairpins.
Erzen (@xenn1)
29th January 2021, 8:36
Bottas had damage and wasn’t a good reference point when it came to trying strategies for Hamilton during that race, he kept spinning. Hamilton made his own strategy calls and the team let him have at it because they trust him that much, Bono said that on his post race interview with Sky. Vettel also put it nicely after the race, it wasn’t Hamilton’s race to win and he still did it, it was a performance worthy of a 7 time world champion.
The race didn’t come to Mercedes as the conditions settled, if that was the case, Bottas would’ve been able to at least get into the points despite the damage to his car.
Andy (@andyfromsandy)
29th January 2021, 8:57
Someone mentioned it took 7 or 8 laps to get the tyres working. About that time Bottas would have a spin and would have to start the process off again… and again.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
29th January 2021, 10:04
Yes you are the all seeing eye aren’t you ‘S’. Brawn was wrong and Lewis only won because they trialled it on Bottas first. Nice work. In fact I think you could probable dis-assemble every one of his wins and there would be a reason, other than he can drive. And I bet you have.
S
29th January 2021, 10:57
@tonymansell Hamilton is undoubtedly a brilliant driver. He also drives the fastest and most consistent car by a long way and is a part of what is currently the ‘best’ and most dominant team in F1’s history.
He’s not doing it alone, and he’s not being partnered with another driver who is consistently on his level.
Besides, a big part of Brawn’s job is to talk up his business and its main attraction. Do you believe everything a salesman tells you about their product?
A M (@amam)
29th January 2021, 11:46
But then there are years like 2017 and 2018 where Hamilton was able to make more of a difference
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
29th January 2021, 11:58
Staying a winning driver is not that easy or it would happen more often. You are very simplistic in your view but if you dont get that then im certainly not going to spend time helping you understand.
Whats the salesman stuff, total nonnnsense. I didn’t form my view of Lewis this morning after reading this article. Laughable.
S
29th January 2021, 12:18
Ah well, there’s a never-ending supply of kool-aid sipping Hamilton fans ready to discount just how good and how important the other two ingredients are that are required for success in motorsport – the car and the team.
I’ve seen his entire F1 career. No doubt he’s good, but he isn’t twice as good as everyone else. That idea would be laughable.
David BR (@david-br)
29th January 2021, 14:12
S: ‘undoubtedly brilliant’ or ‘no doubt good’? Maybe you just adapt to the conditions too? :oP
David BR (@david-br)
29th January 2021, 14:10
Why? Because you were told that? Because of the stats? Or because you’ve seen evidence for yourself watching him drive?
If the latter (I presume so) then I’m flummoxed as to why you disagree with Brawn on this one. For me Turkey was one of Hamilton’s standout races (Portugal also) to go with some of the brilliant qualifying laps. Both races required learning throughout the race as conditions changed and/or the track was an ‘unknown’. Significantly, Hamilton increased his advantaged as he adapted – as he later said, trying out different lines and approaches, while keeping the tyres going. That’s what Brawn so.
David BR (@david-br)
29th January 2021, 14:14
* what Brawn saw
S
29th January 2021, 15:04
@david-br
I don’t disagree that Hamilton drove well. I disagree it was a ‘masterpiece’.
Latifi or Grosjean winning, for example, would have been closer to a masterpiece.
It was a slightly poor choice of words to add “the one part…”
Racing a car in changing conditions is quite interesting. The car can go from a dog on lino to a cat on carpet very quickly, and can go the other way just as quickly.
I would be equally flummoxed if you felt that the changing conditions and the cars’ (Mercedes, Racing Point, Red Bull and the rest) characteristics played no part in the outcome.
Every driver was out there in the same weather and track conditions, but only one of them had the same car and team conditions, and his car was damaged.
Good and brilliant are synonyms… There are a lot of words in English, just trying to spread the love.
David BR (@david-br)
29th January 2021, 15:27
@S Sure but it’s more or less 100% given that we all know how important the car is. The marginal differences matter. I mean, few are going to disagree about Usain Bolt’s brilliance, but it’s only fractions of a second! I guess what I admired about these drives and about Hamilton (or Alonso say) overall is this constant exploration of possibilities for increasing speed, ‘an impossible perfection,’ while keeping the pace (and tyres) going.
I know, I was teasing you on that one. :o)
S
30th January 2021, 1:00
@david-br
I agree with your point – but the difference between Usain Bolt and Lewis Hamilton is that Hamilton has usually had a technical advantage over 18 other drivers since 2014. That’s why there is debate about how much is car and how much is driver.
I don’t know why I keep reinforcing this point – Hamilton is good, but he isn’t as good as his statistics suggest, relative to every other driver. It’s a quirk of motorsport that Usain Bolt never had to contend with.
This article attempts to put that same spin on it that many fans do – that it’s more the driver than the car. Car, team and driver all need to be at the top of their game to get those results, not just one of those ingredients.
An opinion/article stating that Hamilton’s drive was a masterpiece is what it is, but it totally discounts how well others drive in inferior equipment lacking the capability to squash the competition.
David BR (@david-br)
30th January 2021, 2:00
@S OK, I can see what you’re getting at. Nobody is really going to call a driver’s race a ‘masterpiece’ if they don’t actually win the race, and in that case, lots of equally brilliant drives will never get that accolade. It’s not really a term I’d ever use for a race performance, but I took it more in the sense of a lesson given to ‘apprentices’ by a master at his craft (which is what the term originally meant: a master showing students how a painting should be done). And in that sense, Brawn was spot on.
S
30th January 2021, 2:17
@david-br
But was it?
How about Vettel’s performance that day? Was that not equally ‘masterful?’ Just because he didn’t win doesn’t mean he didn’t drive as well…. His car just wasn’t as fast. Same for Perez.
How would we know that Magnussen and Grosjean haven’t put in such stellar performances in their cars? (Though not at Turkey, obviously.)
That’s my point. The better car and team (and therefore, better results and stats) shift the perception of what’s good and what isn’t.
Z
29th January 2021, 13:49
I don’t think the drivers or teams will like seeing Hamilton dressed up in cute bunny lingerie. Does that mean that’ll be rule?
S
29th January 2021, 13:56
I reckon they’d love it
Dave (@davewillisporter)
29th January 2021, 22:35
OMG! I just give up! Hey S, what was the race like? ” They went round and round and the black car was faster than the pink car and the red car was good too and there was rain and stuff!”
Reality. Three drivers didn’t f up and showed their skills! THREE OUT OF 20. Hamilton Perez Vettel. Re-write. It was carnage and only three drivers managed to navigate the chaos successfully. That’s what happens when you actually watch!
So Perez in the Racing Point finished second and Lance from first place on the grid finished 9th? Surely both should have finished a place apart given there is no driver skill involved in F1 and it’s just about car, track conditions and relative performance. In what world of the 2020 season do you imagine a podium of Merc, RP and Ferrari was a normal outcome given their relative car performances and no Redbulls?
Guess they made a cup of tea at the points of the race where Merc couldn’t do anything to help Bottas try as they did and they tried multiple times, and Hamilton was dictating the pit strategy from the track based on his reading of conditions.
My personal favourite though is this:
Let’s ignore for a moment the sheer arrogance of an internet pundit assuming that they know more than one of the leading minds of F1 and can discount the original premise of the piece because it doesn’t match with their opinion, however unqualified they are to hold such opinions. What Brawn actually said was as quoted:
Never said the cars were too fast. Never said that was the prime reason why racing is terrible. That is their opinion not Brawn’s. Brawn observed that grip levels and conditions made this race exiting not speed.
Cars were 3 seconds slower in 2004 and the racing was still terrible. Brawn knows this and knows why. Taking away downforce and just making drivers drive is another category. F1 is downforce! What Brawn has done is focus on producing downforce below the floor where the backwash is limited and reduces the effect on following cars as apposed to the over body downforce produced today which generates turbulence or “dirty air”.
So, follow S for a race rundown of “yellow car beat red car but pink car was good to and pit stops and lolliops and stuff!
Meanwhile, I’ll get on with actually watching the race!
S
30th January 2021, 1:06
Sorry Dave, I thought I’d explain it in a simple way so you’d understand.
Just re-read the final paragraph of the article, while you’re here.
And also do some research on what ‘opinion’ means. We all have them, and they don’t all need to be the same.
Not S
31st January 2021, 15:33
Of course you are entitled to your opinion S. The problem is that you dramatically over estimate its worth. Is someone in a position to independently document Brawn’s knowledge and contribution to F1 and S’s knowledge and contribution to (let’s be generous) anything? We can then line them up and see who’s opinion to value.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th January 2021, 7:41
Indeed, good point.
Yes, this run of success is down to having a great development team able to maintain the technological and aerodynamic package at the top of the pile combined with very smooth operating team AND a driver (lineup) that is able to make great use of that material in the critital moments to make the difference (and they are a part of keeping the package at this level)
Aussie Rod (@aussierod)
29th January 2021, 8:17
“Hamilton’s Turkish GP masterpiece shows his success isn’t just down to the car” – Ross Brawn
“Russell’s Sakhir GP masterpiece shows it largely is” – Aussie Rod
S
29th January 2021, 8:21
Mercedes’ front-row qualifying, race win/podium rate and fastest lap count over the last 7 years provides further evidence.
As if any more evidence were needed.
Gusmaia
29th January 2021, 11:14
Even further:the other day this site ranked Bottas as #8 driver last year.
In his years on Mercedes, his avg finishing position in the WDC is between 2nd and 3rd (5th was the worst).
Bottas is a good driver but he is definitely not the 2nd 3rd best drivers we’ve seen in the last 5 years.
Yes, hamilton might as well be the best driver we have ever seen, but the car has a massive influence on the result.
If not for other reason because there is always a average driver in an awesome car guarding any assault from a third competitor.
N
29th January 2021, 11:34
If you can’t see the difference between those 2 race weekends, i don’t know why you follow motorsport.
Maybe 22 fella’s kicking a bag of air around a field is more your speed.
A M (@amam)
29th January 2021, 11:50
Last i checked, Russell got beat in Q3, picked himself up a puncture and finished a lowly P9..
Vandoorne Bahrain 2016 should serve as a reminder “one swallow a summer does not make”
Kingshark (@kingshark)
30th January 2021, 6:21
@amam
Russell was easily dominating a race in a car that he was completely unfamiliar with (and in a seat far too small for him) until circumstances outside of his control unfolded.
At the end of the day, you can scream “P9” all you want, those who were there to witness the Sakhir GP knew what they saw.
A M (@amam)
30th January 2021, 12:06
@kingshark
IMO, Vandoorne was more impressive in his one-ff in 2016
Unlike George, he actually outqualified his teammate, a teammate who was actually a WDC. Unlike George, Vandoorne was a complete rookie. George had 2 full years racing experience. Vandoorne had zero F1 racing experience. By the end of the year, Bottas had already mentally given up whereas Vandoorne raced a fully motivated Button at the start of the season and was able to outqualify, stay near pace in the race and outpoint him. IMO, Vandoorne’s performance was more impressive. But, it’s just 1 race. Foolish to draw firm conclusions from.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
30th January 2021, 8:49
@amam Russell was beaten by a extremely small margin in an unfamiliar car that he had no practice with prior to that weekend, to a driver who has run Hamilton close, and beaten him on occasion, in qualifying throughout the year. And in the race, he was set to beat that driver at his first attempt. And I have no idea how you can blame Russell for either the pitstop error or the puncture. At that point, it’s clear you’re just trying to twist facts to suit an agenda. With more experience in that car, and a chassis that actually fits him, I see no reason why Russell wouldn’t be able to dominate Bottas in the same manner that Hamilton does. Look at how Verstappen fared versus Ricciardo when he first got promoted to Red Bull and when he had some more experience in the car in 2017 and 2018. Same with Leclerc in the first races of 2019 to the 2nd half of that year and 2020.
Dave (@davewillisporter)
29th January 2021, 21:31
@aussierod Question. Given that Hamilton outqualified Bottas on the main track a week earlier by nearly 3 tenths and Bottas outqualified Russell on the short track by a couple of hundredths, if all three drivers were racing Mercs at Sakhir, without the pit stop failures who would likely have won?
Question. Who do you think would win over a season between an experienced Bottas and a first season at the team Russell if Hamilton didn’t race in 21?
Question. If Hamilton had gone to Merc and they had not been successful, would Hamilton now be driving for another team in a better car? Or the reverse, if Merc had recruited Hamilton and he didn’t end up delivering, would he still have that seat?
If you honestly analyse the value of a successful driver to a team and the value of a successful team to a driver you can answer most debates.
Lewis was a breakout rookie star, a headline grabber, a fierce and extremely fast competitor who took it straight to a 2 times world champ Alonso who himself beat the great Schumi, as soon as he entered the stage. He continued to deliver stand out performances to the point where Brawn, developing his Schumi / Ferrari part 2 strategy for Mercedes realised Lewis was the driver they needed, emphasis on needed. Lauda agreed and Dieter Zetche was all over it. They wanted him.
Merc on the other hand offered Lewis something he needed, a chance to really put his stamp on a team as it’s lead driver, having been nannied by McLaren and told to be quiet while the grown ups talk set up and strategy. He saw a potential that he needed, emphasis on needed.
Now, you take the engineering and driver potential and Daimler finally waking up and committing to spending money (which they weren’t interested in doing until 2012) and combine them and this is the result.
The car he drives is the car they made WITH him. The team they are now is the team they made WITH him.
The success that they both enjoy is the success they made WITH each other.
So. Is the Merc the best car. Yes. Did it allow Hamilton to get where he is? Yes. Those are actually superficial. The key is the why and the how. Tabloid takes don’t cut it when you actually analyse the why and the how.
Is the car why Lewis has been so successful? Largely yes. Is Lewis the reason Merc has been so successful? Largely yes. You cannot separate them, just like you can’t separate De Montezemolo, Todt, Brawn, Byrne, Allison, Schumi and Ferrari money. It’s a team and Lewis is the star striker.
The eventual W11 was driven down a development path by what Lewis needed when he found the W08 didn’t do what he wanted it to in 2017. The power unit came about as a result of Lewis telling them in no uncertain terms during 2018 and 19 that the Ferrari power unit was much faster and he needed more power. Lewis and Andy Cowell have both referenced these conversations in interviews. They literally burned out staff at Brixworth as a result of the effort they put into the 2020 power unit to give Lewis what he needed (and Toto is seriously p’d off at Ferrari for cheating and forcing that level of development.) The level of trust and faith in each other resulted in this all conquering W11.
Is it the best car ever? probably yes. Why and how?
Could any one of the top 5 F1 drivers get in it and win? Yes probably, if they didn’t have a similarly skilled team mate and if Max caught Covid and missed the race!
Could any of those beat Lewis Hamilton in the same car? One name. Max. All the rest aren’t sufficiently battle hardened.
Could Max beat Lewis over a season? 14 years battling for a WDC vs never in the mix for one? Smart money goes on Lewis. Lewis’s speed is just beginning to fade but his guile and mental abilities have never been better.
So next time you find yourself thinking, “yeah but without that car” consider how he arrived in “that car” and also how “that car” came into existence.
And also a bit of deference please for the guy that engineered Michael’s 7 WDCs, created Brawn GP out of the ashes of Honda to deliver a never before accomplished debut double WDC / WCC and had the foresight to recognise Lewis was the new Michael. The guy is literally a genius.
Wayne
30th January 2021, 5:28
Best reaponse ever
Jon (@johns23)
31st January 2021, 22:36
On Russell’s success, if you want to call it that, at the Sakhir GP. I really would like to see Russell on a proper track in the Mercedes to get a good gauge on how he will fair. To be honest that track layout for the Sakhir GP was rubbish.
Andy (@andyfromsandy)
29th January 2021, 8:55
When it was decided to make the cars wider it was touted they would be 5 seconds a lap faster. At the time Hamilton said no-one watching the races on television would see that difference in speed.
I cannot remember exactly what he said but he definitely thought it was the wrong direction.
ian dearing
29th January 2021, 9:50
IIRC one of the points he made was that instead of going through Copse, Pouhon and corners like it on the ragged edge the cars would now be glued to the road at full speed with the extra downforce. No skill required and little chance of making a mistake.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
29th January 2021, 10:08
Yeh he was right and he wasn’t the only one. The cars are 11 seconds a lap quicker round the same Silverstone layout than they were at the beginning of the hybrid era to no noticeable effect on the watch-ability. They get a 2005 Renault, driven pretty quickly it has to be said, by Alonso and the whole paddock goes silent in awe and every hard core fan weeps a small tear.
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
29th January 2021, 11:43
Hamilton is one of the greatest of all time there is no question. My only issue is I only think he’s having to drive at 80% of his ability with a lacklustre team mate and a dominant car. When he turns it on like Turkey he reminds us what he is capable of (going off on the first lap aside).
Tribal allegiances aside we all just want to see a closer formula, I think Fernando summed it up in his comments yesterday regarding George Russell going from last to first in 5 days.
For me the moments that capture my imagination with Lewis are the earlier years. 2007 as a rookie, 2008 Silverstone, 2011 Nurburgring and so on. The Mercedes years are him cementing his legacy rather than creating it. Much like Michael at Benetton and early Ferrari years. Taking the challenge to Williams and Mclaren with far superior machinery blows my simple mind away far beyond what we saw in 2002 and 2004 for a similar example to Lewis.
A M (@amam)
29th January 2021, 11:55
t
i wonder whether Fred was so keen to play up Vandoorne’s performance in Bahrain 2016…a rookie that came in and beat the guy (Button) who had beaten Fred in 2015
Dave (@davewillisporter)
29th January 2021, 18:53
@rdotquestionmark
If you are talking about maximising speed and fighting wheel to wheel then yes. That is however just one aspect of driving a race and a championship. He’s 100% on tyre management, PU management, race awareness and strategy and how to manage the long road to a WDC, not to mention car development team motivation and his own mental and physical game. Schumacher had the same philosophy. His activities outside the car were as important as inside and he could drive with spare capacity because of them. Just because Hamilton’s not driving on 2 wheels and smoking rivals doesn’t mean he’s not trying as hard as he can!
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
29th January 2021, 21:30
@davewillisporter I agree fully. Obviously when I say 80% I say that tongue in cheek but I do think the skill sets and factors you mention are contributed to further by the fact Lewis is driving with spare mental capacity as it’s all so comfortable (generally).
George
29th January 2021, 11:58
George Russel has proved it that the merc best car made LH champion after he replace LH to drive for merc at Sakhir GP. GR from slow car in William to fastest car in merc and he comfortably lead the race until merc wrong call for pit stop end his winning chance.
Let CL drive merc and he will become champion easily too. Its too obvious.
Dex
29th January 2021, 12:50
Put Hamilton in, for example, McLaren, he won’t win the championship (we can say this with a 100% certainty). Put McLaren drivers in Mercedes cars, one of them is going to win the championship (we can also say this with a 100% certainty). Yes, cars win the championship. If you get to choose the right teammate, then you’re the one winning the drivers championship uncontested. I don’t need to tell myself lies to enjoy F1, nor I need people from F1 to tell me those white lies. It is what it is, F1 is as fair as life in general. Anyhow, Hamilton himself said that he’d win nothing if it wasn’t for Mercedes, except for his first title. End of story.
A M (@amam)
29th January 2021, 17:27
Don’t twist his words. He said he wouldn’t win if he stayed at McLaren. He didn’t say he wouldn’t win elsewhere e.g. Ferrari 2017-2018
Dave (@davewillisporter)
29th January 2021, 18:43
False comparison. LEAVE Hamilton in his Merc and put ANY other driver in the other seat. Then there is considerable uncertainty whether the second seat would win a championship and the odds are they would lose the first year.
In a comparative appraisal of whether the car or driver makes a difference, compare like to like. If Hamilton went to McLaren in 2021 against either Norris or Ricciardo, he would definitely not win a championship but he’s odds on to beat his team mate.
In a world where marginal gains and consistent performance are everything it is far too simplistic to say the car is the most important factor. Take Hamilton’s first 3 WDCs. Sure as hell wasn’t the car that was the most important factor in those so we have historical evidence. Would he have got to 7 if Rosberg had stayed or Ricciardo had joined? Likely given the performance improvement Hamilton has made over those 4 years.
Marginal gains and consistency. And a bunch of skill. Jensen Button in his own book wrote that shortly after joining McLaren he looked at Hamilton’s telemetry and saw things he thought were impossible and confided in his Dad “If he ever figures out how to work with his engineers the rest of us may as well go home!”
Guess what? He did.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
29th January 2021, 12:59
Turkey gp shows it is all about the car, so does Portimão. Credit where credit is due, Ham said it at Portimâo, he and merc set the car just right for tge conditions they would face for the bulk of the race.
Dave (@davewillisporter)
29th January 2021, 18:57
@peartree
This statement:
Contradicts this one:
So without the driver / team skill in setting the car up just right, the car would still win with any driver in it?
Which is it?
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
30th January 2021, 12:19
@davewillisporter ham said in Portimão it was all about the set up as he answered why he was struggling with the wetter conditions at start.
I give him credit for the set up even if only a merc could do that, the car was well ahead of the competition, turkey was not special relative to a dry race. As long as cars are not autonomous the driver has to have a lot of credit but there were many good drives in both weekends.
Balue (@balue)
29th January 2021, 13:47
Istanbul was just lucking with the weather and good car on balding inters. Poor example. As others have said, a backmarker driver parachuting in at Sakhir showed it is all about the car.
Dave (@davewillisporter)
29th January 2021, 19:12
@balue
Don’t even go there with Turkey. Verstappen spun out and lost a chance of winning as did Albon, Lance couldn’t handle tyre deg, Leclerc screwed up and went from 2nd to 4th, Bottas couldn’t keep the car in the window, Danny Ric got swallowed, not to mention how difficult it is to manage inters to slicks on a constantly changing grip surface. Only Perez and Lewis finished on slicks. Both have a reputation for outstanding tyre management. Three drivers drove an outstanding race. Lewis Checo and Seb. Two of them are multiple world champions and the third has earned a seat at Redbull. That was a demonstration of skill. END OF! I’ll believe my own lying eyes and the guy who watched Schumi race from the pitwall thanks.
Now on to Russell. “Backmarker” implies that’s his skill level. So he’s no better than Grosjean or Magnussen who’ve both fought at the front and got dumped! He must also by that logic be way