Formula 1 sports director Brawn on data analysis: “does not help sport”

(Motorsport-Complete.com) – Formula 1 invents itself 2021 New. Sport should be both more sustainable and environmentally friendly, and at the same time more exciting and spectacular. But can this succeed if the teams process a lot of data and always seem to be one step ahead?

Formula 1 sports director Ross Brawn would like to restrict data processing. However, he also has to admit that so far the priority of the rights holder sail. First Liberty Media wanted to finalize the basic structure for 2021.

“Honestly I mean, this is now happening in the second section, because we have focused on the big issues up to now in United States. After all, there were so many battles that we had to fight, “he smiles. For example, Liberty Media wanted to ban the “virtual garages” of the teams in their factories.

“If a guy takes his notebook computer into the hotel room .. . “

” These are the structures that the teams have set up in their factories to collect all of the data, analyze it and the insights send it back to the racetrack. ” This is a thorn in Brawn 's side, but he must also admit that no solution has yet been found.

“We have not yet worked out how we could effectively do this [einschränken]. ” The 65 year old himself struggled for years as chief engineer and team boss of top teams, with the change of sides to the official one Plane has also changed his point of view.

“I wonder if the whole thing actually helps sport? I don't think so,” he answers himself. However, he knows how much the teams focus on it. “So you can't give that up either.”

The self-discipline: It is difficult to withdraw from a predicament that is already consists. “You have the knowledge about it,” says Brawn. Therefore, one can never completely ensure that this knowledge is not also used.

“If a guy takes his notebook computer with him to his hotel room in the evening, how do you want to control it? That is very much difficult to control, “the sports director gives an example. He therefore puts his hope in the budget limit, which will be effective from 2021.

Due to the cost limit of 175 million US greenback, it will be especially for the financially strong Top teams more difficult to afford so much private. According to Brawn, they would then think more about what they were using the employees for. But does that actually lead to a less data-driven premier class?

As an engineer, “you only want to find efficiency”

“I can't see how that helps racing,” he emphasizes. Therefore, Brawn is happy about racing weekends, when the weather is a problem for the teams. “I always have the feeling that it shakes the whole thing a little.”

For example, if there is hardly any data on training Fridays due to rain showers, the teams would be less well prepared in go to qualifying. “I'd like to see that.” He believes that the teams lost a bit of the big picture of the sports action in the fight for the last tenth of a second.

“Yes, I struggle on this side too,” he can the engineers even understand. “Of course your focus as an engineer in a team is purely on finding efficiency. You don't care about anything else.” The consequence of the close competition should therefore be to create great racing.

After all, the technicians are “addicted” to new technology, to the participation in it and the commitment. “It's very difficult to give it up again.” Therefore Liberty Media and the FIA ​​must keep an eye on the big picture on this point.

“It is up to us to say that this has to stop now. It does not link, it only is expensive and it doesn't improve racing. ” At the same time, Brawn wants to run Formula 1 at a good level. “Formula 1 must remain the premier class. We don't want to downplay the sport, but it's just about finding this stage – it will never be perfect and will always vary.”

The sports director is confident that this will make Formula 1 more successful again. He dreams of more successful teams and better racing – also by cutting data analysis.