The new Brawn Formula One team has the potential to dominate Sunday's Australian season-opener here based on its sensational pre-season testing times, rival team boss Sir Frank Williams said Wednesday.
The new Brawn Formula One team has the potential to dominate Sunday's Australian season-opener here based on its sensational pre-season testing times, rival team boss Sir Frank Williams said Wednesday.
Brawn GP carries the name of Ross Brawn, the former Ferrari engineer who put together a management buy-out of the Honda team when it pulled out of F1 because of the global economic crisis.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and British teammate Jenson Button both topped the timecharts in Barcelona earlier this month in the Brawn GP outfit's first tests since the buy-out.
Such has been the reaction to Brawn GP's impressive testing times, local bookmakers have installed Button as the favourite for Sunday's GP on the Albert Park street circuit.
Button's popularity comes despite his winning just once, in 2006, from a total of 153 races.
But Williams, who has been one of the great F1 survivors for 40 years, says the Brawn car is absurdly superior based on its test track performances.
"They are making the rest of us look like amateurs," Williams said.
"In Australia they will disappear on the basis of what we have seen in testing. I just hope we can be up there, too."
Barrichello, who is a nine-time winner in 268 race starts and worked with Brawn at Ferrari, said he was thrilled with his car ahead of the Melbourne race.
"Just the driveability of the engine is a dream," Barrichello said this week.
"Finally, when I accelerate, I have the feeling of knowing what to expect.
"The power is wonderfully manageable and predictable."
Barrichello said he believes the F1 newcomers could be the surprise of the season with what he says is the car of his dreams.
"I've been waiting for this car for such a long time," he said.
"In a way I have waited for it since I joined Honda, to have a car that can give me that good feeling.
"Every race last year I went in to win. It was a tough time.
"But now the car is competitive and although the team changed name, we've learned a lot from the mistakes we made last year."
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Rabu, 25 Maret 2009
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