I don’t normally blub but at Brazil 2009 I did, such was the enormity of what we achieved.
One year previously we had been informed that Honda were withdrawing from Formula One. It really looked like it was all about to go down the pan. To take over from that point and for Brawn GP to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in less than 12 months from that low point was just a tremendous roller coaster of emotions.
In a race you must remain focused, maintaining the intensity of concentration, managing any emotions to ensure the task in hand is the focus of all efforts.
As the car crosses the line, the race is over, you know where you are, then you can release those emotions and it all comes flooding out. Brazil was a really strong emotional day, securing both championships after having faced such adversity beforehand.
I always view the difficult periods you inevitably experience in Formula One as preparation for success and emotionally, they make the success so much more worthwhile and intense. When you have suffered frustrations and pain to get there, achieving success is all the more sweeter.
I think Formula One fans really connected to our success that year because of the adversity we had faced over the winter. We were lucky, we were pretty much scratching our way onto the grid, though we knew within the team we had a pretty good car and I think people related to what turned into a great story.
We had looked like we were out of the sport. Jenson didn’t have another drive lined up and it may have ended his career had we not managed to carry on. A year out in Formula One is a very long time and it is easy to get forgotten, so for all of us it was a tremendous journey and such an emotional one that many fans experienced along with us.
You can also read BBCF1 Lee McKenzie's memory of this race here
Ross Brawn
Team Principal
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
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Memory added on August 24, 2012
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