Technical director Benetton Formula Limited 


Designing the car that carried Benetton Formula to the 1994
world drivers' championship gave Ross Brawn and his
technical team additional confidence as they face the new
challenge of designing its successor for 1995.

"The victory meant a great deal to everyone connected with
the team," said Brawn, whose calm nature hides a passion
for racing. "And it also convinced us that it was very
important to make an early start again with the B195 as we
all felt it was one of the reasons for our success." 

Work towards the early completion of the B195 had already
begun, however, long before Brawn and his colleagues
revelled in Schumacher's title triumph. Once the new
technical regulations for 1995 began to take shape, midway
through last year, the first of a series of Benetton
'brainstormers' was being held behind closed doors at
Enstone. 

"One of the things that happened last year was the very
great series of regulation changes," explained Brawn.
"I felt the B194 became less than optimised by these
changes. Before they were implemented, I thought it was an
exceptional car; with the introduction of the short diffuser
and the plank under the car, I think the field was levelled.

"We had put in a lot of work to optimise our car for the
regulations as they had existed. When changes like that are
made, everyone is back to square one. Aware of all that, we
have tried to study all the areas of the car which we felt
needed improving. 

"As a result, the new car has been an evolution, and
obviously we have introduced a new aerodynamic package too.
We have had to work within the new regulations and, of
course, I hope these regulations remain stable for the
whole year. The B195, will be designed around them.

"With the changes in the regulations, the capacity to
produce high levels of downforce has become very expensive
in terms of drag. We may not be able to produce them again.
At low levels of downforce, the car is 15% worse than it
was last year in terms of reduction in lift, or increase in
drag. 

For Brawn and his team, the B195's development included the
introduction of Renault engines. He has found working with
the Renault engineers to be a refreshing and stimulating
experience, but believes that, due to the regulation
changes from 3.5 litres to 3 litres, power will be down in
proportion by around 14 or 15%. 

1995 will be the fourth year together for many of the
technical team assembled at Enstone by Benetton Formula.
Brawn feels this has been an advantage as they have grown up
together and gained a shared experience in striving towards
and then achieving their ambitions. "Everyone here now has
more experience and more confidence," he said. "They know
they can win the championship. They know how it has been
done. They have the confidence to do it again." 

Like a chef in a busy kitchen, Brawn has to ensure every
dish is correct. This, in his case, means co-ordinating
research and development, design and in-house manufacturing
in all areas of the car on a team basis so that it comes
together as a perfect package for the track. 

Establishing the ground rules is Brawn's responsibility
from the moment the Benetton brainstormers start in late
summer onwards. "This year, with all the rule changes and
the change to Renault, we had a lot to consider," he said.

"That meant plenty of work, which in turn meant I had less
time than usual at home in the winter." For Brawn, a
married man with teenage daughters, this was a pity as one
of his chief hobbies and relaxations is gardening.

"My family and home life are important as they keep my life
balanced." he said. 


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Source: http://www.jtnet.ad.jp/WWW/MILDSEVEN/F1/