Ross Brawn, the current Formula One Managing Director of Motorsports and technical director, looked back at his time running Scuderia Ferrari at the peak of the Maranello team’s powers during an event which celebrated the heritage of the Scuderia. Speaking to RaceFans.net and other media at the launch of the Ferrari in Art collection at the Royal Automobile Club in London, Brawn described the unique experience of guiding F1’s most famous team to six consecutive championship triumphs:
“I’ve been lucky enough to stand on the podium at Monza when Ferrari have won and there’s no better sensation than that,” Brawn recalled. “Seeing the huge crowds and the emotion and passion of the fans. I’d walk through the airport at Bologna and I’d get abused or I’d get praised and that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world. But that’s part of the passion of Ferrari.” – he explained.
Ross Brawn’s time at Ferrari overlapped with Michael Schumacher’s stint at the team, which included five drivers’ championship victories. Brawn said he would have found it difficult to join another team immediately afterwards: “I had a year off. I’d have struggled to go straight to Ferrari from somewhere else. But I’d [done] 10 years, I did a decade, it was a nice round number and it felt right to stop at that stage. What I didn’t want to do was to fade out or to leave on difficult circumstances. So it was perfect for me.” – he added.
Ferrari in Art is a collection of 25 special painting created from images of the team’s history and tributes written by former drivers, team members and famous Ferrari owners. It has been put together by Formula 1 photographer Keith Sutton and artist Mark Dickens: “I love the history of Ferrari, obviously,” said Brawn. “The fact it wasn’t manufactured it was… it was organic. [Enzo] Ferrari didn’t sit down and say ‘right, I’m going to create this empire and this is how I’m going to do it’. It just evolved and became the world-famous racing team and car manufacturer it is today. To be a small part of that was very special. But I love all the phases of Ferrari. The intrigue and the mystery behind it is all part of it.”
Although Ross Brawn went on to shape the Merceded team which has dominated Formula 1 for the past five seasons, he still maintains a relationship with the team which he spent the largest part of his F1 career with: “I was there a few years ago and they laid a few things on for me which was nice, I took some friends there. I often go to Goodwood where they run some of their old cars and the mechanics running the cars are the mechanics I was working with when I was there. There’s always a few hugs and tears and memories. It’s still a very special place.” – the former Scuderia Ferrari technical director concluded.
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