1 00:00:05,203 --> 00:00:09,563 For as long as I can remember, I've had a fascination with racing, 2 00:00:10,123 --> 00:00:13,843 and I'm going to share a story that barely seems believable. 3 00:00:18,323 --> 00:00:23,243 In a world of fierce competition, politics, money and power, 4 00:00:24,363 --> 00:00:27,283 at the highest level of global motor sport, 5 00:00:28,083 --> 00:00:32,883 a small, underfinanced team drew on every ounce of determination 6 00:00:32,883 --> 00:00:36,323 to overcome the biggest names in motor racing. 7 00:00:38,403 --> 00:00:41,563 This is the story of Brawn GP. 8 00:00:51,203 --> 00:00:52,963 How low will it go? 9 00:00:52,963 --> 00:00:55,003 The stock market slide continued today. 10 00:00:55,003 --> 00:00:56,923 The credit crunch has brought Formula 1 11 00:00:56,923 --> 00:00:58,563 crashing back down to earth. 12 00:00:58,563 --> 00:01:00,883 The economic situation was dire. 13 00:01:00,883 --> 00:01:04,243 Motor giant Honda pulled the plug on Formula 1. 14 00:01:04,243 --> 00:01:08,203 Why do people say that you were the one pound Formula 1 team? 15 00:01:08,203 --> 00:01:12,643 Well, I gave a pound to the Honda executive to formalise the deal. 16 00:01:12,643 --> 00:01:16,243 We did not have a plan B for anything. 17 00:01:16,243 --> 00:01:18,883 No way that this car doesn't make Melbourne. 18 00:01:18,883 --> 00:01:20,563 Even if we arrive like that. 19 00:01:22,683 --> 00:01:24,443 Didn't they tell you, you couldn't crash? 20 00:01:25,803 --> 00:01:28,283 Jenson Button will be romping clear now. 21 00:01:30,163 --> 00:01:32,083 You couldn't come up with a Hollywood script. 22 00:01:32,083 --> 00:01:33,203 No, I'd never believe you. 23 00:01:33,203 --> 00:01:34,603 We're lucky bastards. 24 00:01:34,603 --> 00:01:36,483 We were lucky bastards indeed. 25 00:01:38,363 --> 00:01:42,363 Jenson Button crosses the line, takes the chequered flag. 26 00:01:42,363 --> 00:01:45,403 This opportunity doesn't come around for many people. 27 00:01:45,403 --> 00:01:47,763 For the first time in five years, 28 00:01:47,763 --> 00:01:50,683 Rubens Barrichello is a winner in Formula 1. 29 00:01:50,683 --> 00:01:52,323 This season is made for me. 30 00:01:52,323 --> 00:01:53,763 I'm gonna win the championship. 31 00:01:53,763 --> 00:01:55,563 Tell us what you said to your drivers? 32 00:01:55,563 --> 00:01:56,803 Yeah, just don't hit each other. 33 00:01:58,043 --> 00:01:59,843 People believe in him, 34 00:01:59,843 --> 00:02:03,363 because he looks innocent, and he wouldn't hurt anybody. 35 00:02:03,883 --> 00:02:06,883 Yet, really, behind the scenes, a smiling assassin. 36 00:02:06,883 --> 00:02:09,923 - I think you're all smiling assassins. 37 00:02:09,923 --> 00:02:13,123 Oh, you have built me a monster of a car. 38 00:02:13,123 --> 00:02:14,963 They went too far. 39 00:02:15,563 --> 00:02:18,963 All of us were aware there was something against the rules. 40 00:02:20,043 --> 00:02:24,403 Suddenly, this team that everybody just wanted to survive, is killing us. 41 00:02:24,403 --> 00:02:26,603 Formula 1 has been thrown into chaos. 42 00:02:26,603 --> 00:02:28,803 The biggest crisis to hit motor sport in 50 years. 43 00:02:28,803 --> 00:02:30,243 ...whether his car is legal. 44 00:02:30,243 --> 00:02:33,723 This was the start of the war. 45 00:02:35,323 --> 00:02:37,083 It is still with the blood. 46 00:02:37,083 --> 00:02:38,883 That's the piece that came out of your car. 47 00:02:38,883 --> 00:02:40,523 - The knives were out, 48 00:02:40,523 --> 00:02:42,043 and they were after us. 49 00:02:42,043 --> 00:02:45,683 The problem was, collectively, they didn't have any balls. 50 00:02:45,683 --> 00:02:47,723 You're seriously on fire, Rubens. 51 00:02:47,723 --> 00:02:50,723 Complete despair on the Brawn pit wall. 52 00:02:51,763 --> 00:02:53,683 Now, this is about survival. 53 00:02:53,683 --> 00:02:54,763 The pack had caught up. 54 00:02:54,763 --> 00:02:56,523 The emotions were starting to show. 55 00:02:56,523 --> 00:02:59,323 I wish I can get on the plane and go back home right now. 56 00:02:59,323 --> 00:03:01,923 Everyone's in Formula 1 to win. We're not all friends. 57 00:03:01,923 --> 00:03:04,203 Jenson Button P14. 58 00:03:04,203 --> 00:03:05,923 - Where are you now? 59 00:03:05,923 --> 00:03:08,723 I felt that the whole world was watching me fail. 60 00:03:08,723 --> 00:03:12,243 This is the perfect way to throw it away. Jesus fucking Christ. 61 00:03:12,243 --> 00:03:14,923 It's ten past midnight. Cinderella's gone. 62 00:03:14,923 --> 00:03:18,083 It's like the best in the world fighting for, like, this. 63 00:03:18,083 --> 00:03:21,243 One of the greatest seasons in Formula 1 history. 64 00:03:21,243 --> 00:03:23,443 Just don't give up until you can't go any further. 65 00:03:23,443 --> 00:03:26,643 Because if we'd given up, we wouldn't be telling the story. 66 00:03:45,323 --> 00:03:47,603 March the 4th, 1986. 67 00:03:48,123 --> 00:03:50,803 Britain is still in the grip of a miserable winter. 68 00:03:51,643 --> 00:03:55,883 Aerodynamicist Ross Brawn is in the Cranfield Aeronautics wind tunnel. 69 00:03:57,083 --> 00:04:02,563 All Formula 1 aerodynamicists are locked in an endless quest for more downforce. 70 00:04:08,363 --> 00:04:13,283 Formula 1 is such a unique blend of technology and sport. 71 00:04:13,923 --> 00:04:17,883 Once it gets into your blood, it will never let go. 72 00:04:22,603 --> 00:04:25,563 Everything people do in Formula 1 is competitive. 73 00:04:26,283 --> 00:04:28,163 Where is Michael Schumacher? 74 00:04:28,163 --> 00:04:30,603 He's stuck in traffic. I want him in this lap. 75 00:04:30,603 --> 00:04:31,763 It is technical. 76 00:04:31,763 --> 00:04:33,443 It's engineering. It's strategy. 77 00:04:34,123 --> 00:04:37,603 What an absolutely phenomenal drive by Michael Schumacher. 78 00:04:44,603 --> 00:04:47,283 I had an unbelievable spell at Ferrari. 79 00:04:47,883 --> 00:04:50,443 We won six World Constructors' Championships. 80 00:04:50,443 --> 00:04:53,403 Michael won five Drivers' Championships there. 81 00:04:54,163 --> 00:04:57,163 And I really didn't imagine anything else could ever follow that. 82 00:04:57,163 --> 00:05:00,043 I thought a decade at Ferrari was perfect. 83 00:05:03,243 --> 00:05:05,123 {\an8}I'd decided I wanted a year out. 84 00:05:06,203 --> 00:05:10,483 This was historical era for Ferrari. 85 00:05:11,563 --> 00:05:17,283 {\an8}When he left, I accepted, because he say to me, "I want to fish." 86 00:05:17,923 --> 00:05:22,123 If he say to me, "I leave because I want to go in another team"... 87 00:05:22,123 --> 00:05:25,203 For me, it was a disaster for my heart. 88 00:05:29,443 --> 00:05:31,763 Can you speak a little bit about Honda? 89 00:05:32,723 --> 00:05:34,323 You were CEO. 90 00:05:34,323 --> 00:05:38,043 You know, fundamentally, we lacked experience in Formula 1. 91 00:05:39,203 --> 00:05:41,403 My background is big companies. 92 00:05:41,403 --> 00:05:42,843 I know how they operate. 93 00:05:42,843 --> 00:05:45,483 In many ways, we had too much money. 94 00:05:47,083 --> 00:05:51,283 We ended up working on a whole bunch of stuff which really was distracting 95 00:05:51,283 --> 00:05:54,563 and didn't give us much in the way of results on the track. 96 00:05:55,763 --> 00:05:58,283 We needed a top-class technical director. 97 00:05:58,883 --> 00:06:01,723 Those, in Formula 1, are few and far between. 98 00:06:02,563 --> 00:06:07,203 I set about ringing Ross, about once a month. 99 00:06:07,763 --> 00:06:09,003 Nick was relentless. 100 00:06:09,003 --> 00:06:11,203 It would just be, uh, a friendly chat. 101 00:06:11,203 --> 00:06:13,043 He'd just keep reminding me he was there. 102 00:06:14,083 --> 00:06:15,803 Ferrari really wanted me to come back 103 00:06:15,803 --> 00:06:18,923 doing the same thing that I'd been doing before, which I wasn't interested in. 104 00:06:18,923 --> 00:06:23,363 And Nick and Honda were offering up another step in my career. 105 00:06:23,363 --> 00:06:24,683 So it was as team principal. 106 00:06:24,683 --> 00:06:25,763 In charge of everything. 107 00:06:25,763 --> 00:06:28,843 Ross Brawn, the most successful technical director in recent years, 108 00:06:28,843 --> 00:06:30,723 has joined Honda as team principal. 109 00:06:30,723 --> 00:06:32,043 Ross, welcome to the team. 110 00:06:32,043 --> 00:06:33,603 Thank you. I'm very pleased to be here. 111 00:06:33,603 --> 00:06:35,203 This was a big deal. 112 00:06:35,203 --> 00:06:38,163 And this was also, I think, a big deal within Formula 1. 113 00:06:39,443 --> 00:06:42,003 I remember being at Brackley, 114 00:06:42,003 --> 00:06:44,963 {\an8}and we had the whole factory there. We're all sat on the floor. 115 00:06:45,643 --> 00:06:48,563 And it gets announced that Ross is part of the team. 116 00:06:48,563 --> 00:06:51,363 Before he opens his mouth, I think, it lifts the team, 117 00:06:51,363 --> 00:06:53,363 because of what he's achieved. 118 00:06:54,643 --> 00:06:56,963 2005, you're with Ferrari. 119 00:06:56,963 --> 00:06:59,883 You make a jump for new opportunities. 120 00:06:59,883 --> 00:07:02,963 Your former technical director, 121 00:07:02,963 --> 00:07:07,483 Ross Brawn, leaves Ferrari to join Honda. 122 00:07:09,003 --> 00:07:12,323 Everybody in Formula 1 knew of the background of Ross. 123 00:07:13,203 --> 00:07:15,403 So, for sure, I was happy. 124 00:07:16,403 --> 00:07:18,283 Did you talk to him? 125 00:07:18,283 --> 00:07:19,923 Did you wish him luck at Honda? 126 00:07:22,123 --> 00:07:23,203 Did you have a... 127 00:07:24,563 --> 00:07:27,043 I think Honda made a very good offer to him. 128 00:07:27,723 --> 00:07:32,283 And, uh, they were very, very smart to have a person like him. 129 00:07:33,723 --> 00:07:39,563 I've always found Ross to be a very polite guy, a very nice guy to communicate with, 130 00:07:39,563 --> 00:07:41,003 but a ferocious competitor. 131 00:07:41,523 --> 00:07:44,923 And, uh, you know, a smiling assassin. 132 00:07:45,563 --> 00:07:48,883 - I think you're all smiling assassins. 133 00:07:52,043 --> 00:07:57,403 I mean, Ross was perceived as a tactical genius. 134 00:07:57,403 --> 00:08:01,643 As a wonderful manager of people. 135 00:08:02,283 --> 00:08:04,083 I think that's what he was good at. 136 00:08:04,083 --> 00:08:06,083 People believe in him, 137 00:08:06,763 --> 00:08:10,243 because he looks innocent, and he wouldn't hurt anybody, 138 00:08:10,243 --> 00:08:12,243 and, therefore, people sort of... 139 00:08:13,803 --> 00:08:15,283 ...trusted him completely. 140 00:08:17,083 --> 00:08:18,443 I feel like there's a but. 141 00:08:19,963 --> 00:08:21,803 No, maybe there's a most. 142 00:08:22,483 --> 00:08:23,923 And what does that mean? 143 00:08:23,923 --> 00:08:25,323 Most people trusted him. 144 00:08:27,643 --> 00:08:30,443 It was a big, big risk by Ross 145 00:08:30,443 --> 00:08:36,123 to go from a very comfortable dominant environment in Ferrari to take a punt. 146 00:08:36,123 --> 00:08:38,123 Uh, and Honda wasn't a small team. 147 00:08:38,123 --> 00:08:41,043 Honda had one of the biggest budgets in Formula 1, 148 00:08:41,043 --> 00:08:42,403 but they were under-delivering. 149 00:08:43,123 --> 00:08:45,403 You know, the sleeping giant that needed waking. 150 00:08:45,403 --> 00:08:46,563 Was it ambition? 151 00:08:47,083 --> 00:08:50,443 Do you feel like he wanted to maybe... 152 00:08:50,963 --> 00:08:54,963 Prove that he can win also with somebody else. Yes. 153 00:08:58,803 --> 00:09:00,763 With the 2008 car, 154 00:09:00,763 --> 00:09:04,203 the first thing Ross said was, "Let's cut the bullshit. 155 00:09:04,803 --> 00:09:07,483 This is a shit box. You're not gonna win anything with this." 156 00:09:08,803 --> 00:09:11,603 This would be a year where once the car was racing, 157 00:09:11,603 --> 00:09:13,163 we're not gonna pay any attention to it. 158 00:09:14,443 --> 00:09:16,643 'Cause there was these new regulations coming, 159 00:09:17,243 --> 00:09:20,603 and it was vital that we put all our resource into these new regulations, 160 00:09:20,603 --> 00:09:22,163 'cause it was such a great opportunity. 161 00:09:22,163 --> 00:09:25,403 And that was a strategic decision that I don't think anyone else made. 162 00:09:27,403 --> 00:09:30,643 Every few years, there are rule changes in F1. 163 00:09:31,243 --> 00:09:34,123 Almost all of them with the goal of improving safety, 164 00:09:34,643 --> 00:09:37,363 so the cars don't keep getting faster and faster. 165 00:09:38,123 --> 00:09:40,923 These rule changes clip the wings of car designers, 166 00:09:40,923 --> 00:09:44,923 and all the teams essentially start from scratch. 167 00:09:45,963 --> 00:09:48,443 Teams start to look at the design of the cars, 168 00:09:48,443 --> 00:09:51,883 they see problems with the regulations, or they see opportunities. 169 00:09:53,843 --> 00:09:56,763 Formula 1 cars are the pinnacle of motor racing. 170 00:09:56,763 --> 00:09:58,403 The fastest cars on the planet, 171 00:09:58,403 --> 00:10:01,443 because they're so efficient in terms of downforce, 172 00:10:01,443 --> 00:10:04,883 creating incredible grip and incredible cornering speeds. 173 00:10:10,203 --> 00:10:14,923 The new 2009 rules restricted the cars' aerodynamics, 174 00:10:15,443 --> 00:10:17,563 giving them less downforce: 175 00:10:17,563 --> 00:10:21,283 The airflow around and through the car that pushes it to the ground. 176 00:10:23,003 --> 00:10:27,083 The idea was to make the racing closer, with more overtaking. 177 00:10:28,163 --> 00:10:31,683 It was a pretty big meeting on the strategy for the new car, 178 00:10:31,683 --> 00:10:37,083 where a very junior Japanese aerodynamicist 179 00:10:37,083 --> 00:10:40,883 put up his hand and said, you know, he'd got this idea 180 00:10:41,403 --> 00:10:46,683 fundamental to giving us more downforce at the back of the car 181 00:10:46,683 --> 00:10:49,083 than the rules had originally intended. 182 00:10:49,083 --> 00:10:54,443 It's like the opposite of this famous movie Lost in Translation. 183 00:10:54,443 --> 00:10:56,403 It's found in translation, 184 00:10:56,403 --> 00:11:01,123 because they found something an English guy cannot read. 185 00:11:01,123 --> 00:11:06,563 You take word by word, line by line, and say, "Ah, why we are not doing that?" 186 00:11:06,563 --> 00:11:10,363 The purpose of regulation is to reduce downforce. 187 00:11:10,363 --> 00:11:14,003 The diffuser are very important aerodynamics part. 188 00:11:14,683 --> 00:11:15,883 What is a diffuser? 189 00:11:15,883 --> 00:11:19,283 So it's the bodywork around the rear wheels that faces the ground. 190 00:11:19,283 --> 00:11:23,603 Under your car, you are trying to generate low pressure, 191 00:11:23,603 --> 00:11:27,043 and this low pressure will bring your car down. 192 00:11:28,083 --> 00:11:31,603 There was a controlled set of dimensions, but it wasn't controlled well enough. 193 00:11:32,203 --> 00:11:34,803 There was an opportunity to have another diffuser, 194 00:11:34,803 --> 00:11:36,843 and then to couple these two together. 195 00:11:37,443 --> 00:11:39,803 And, so, the double diffuser was born. 196 00:11:40,563 --> 00:11:43,643 A loophole design that got around the new regulations. 197 00:11:44,243 --> 00:11:47,203 The double diffuser gave the car way more downforce 198 00:11:47,203 --> 00:11:52,243 than the rules had originally intended, effectively, giving it more grip, 199 00:11:52,243 --> 00:11:54,803 which allowed for more speed in the corners. 200 00:11:56,723 --> 00:12:00,563 More speed in the corners meant they would be faster on the straights. 201 00:12:01,843 --> 00:12:03,403 The penny dropped. 202 00:12:03,403 --> 00:12:06,763 Hang on a minute, you know, he's onto something here. 203 00:12:06,763 --> 00:12:08,923 This is a new opportunity, 204 00:12:08,923 --> 00:12:12,323 and the more we got into it, the more we realised the potential. 205 00:12:13,043 --> 00:12:16,323 I know that any advantage you have in Formula 1 is only temporary, 206 00:12:16,323 --> 00:12:18,443 but we had this opportunity, 207 00:12:18,443 --> 00:12:21,523 and we were on the path to achieve our ambitions. 208 00:12:22,403 --> 00:12:25,843 We had no idea what was about to happen. 209 00:12:27,323 --> 00:12:28,723 Wait, who is he? 210 00:12:30,043 --> 00:12:31,763 How low will it go? 211 00:12:31,763 --> 00:12:33,643 The stock market slide continued today. 212 00:12:33,643 --> 00:12:36,443 Two financial giants, Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers, 213 00:12:36,443 --> 00:12:39,003 buckled under the real estate and credit crises. 214 00:12:39,003 --> 00:12:43,643 A record $3.7 trillion in market value has been lost this year. 215 00:12:43,643 --> 00:12:46,483 Capitalism itself looks like it's on the brink. 216 00:12:49,883 --> 00:12:52,763 Lehman Brothers crashed down. 217 00:12:54,923 --> 00:12:59,443 After that, for Honda, car order, it stopped. 218 00:13:00,683 --> 00:13:05,323 So, we must shut down our production line. 219 00:13:08,523 --> 00:13:12,443 We got a call to meet with one of the Honda executives. 220 00:13:13,963 --> 00:13:15,003 Oshima-san. 221 00:13:16,123 --> 00:13:19,763 Oshima-san was someone I'd worked with for several years. 222 00:13:23,283 --> 00:13:25,283 We didn't know he was in the country. 223 00:13:30,043 --> 00:13:31,963 And we had assumed, 224 00:13:33,243 --> 00:13:35,403 you know, we just need to save some money here. 225 00:13:40,843 --> 00:13:44,203 We went into a small room with Oshima-san, 226 00:13:44,923 --> 00:13:48,323 who was clearly very distressed, which was worrying. 227 00:13:53,043 --> 00:13:54,763 And what did he say? 228 00:13:54,763 --> 00:13:58,443 Well, it wasn't what he said, initially, it was the fact that he was crying. 229 00:13:59,283 --> 00:14:02,723 And he announced that Honda was stopping. 230 00:14:02,723 --> 00:14:05,243 It was all coming to an end. 231 00:14:06,283 --> 00:14:08,763 While the economy crashed down... 232 00:14:09,523 --> 00:14:13,803 It's not necessary to do motor sports in that situation, 233 00:14:13,803 --> 00:14:20,203 so our management decide to quit F1. 234 00:14:21,443 --> 00:14:25,283 He said, "Tell the staff that this is it," 235 00:14:25,283 --> 00:14:28,443 and, you know, "Turn out the lights." 236 00:14:35,403 --> 00:14:37,963 I mean, was there a moment where you're in the hallways, 237 00:14:37,963 --> 00:14:41,123 and you look at each other, and you're like, I don't know, like... 238 00:14:41,123 --> 00:14:44,403 ...Ross turns to Nick Fry and says, "What the fuck?" 239 00:14:45,483 --> 00:14:47,923 And Nick turns to Ross and goes, "What the fuck?" 240 00:14:47,923 --> 00:14:50,723 Well, it would definitely have been a "we weren't expecting that" moment. 241 00:14:51,243 --> 00:14:54,163 Our minds were racing, 'cause you're suddenly faced with... 242 00:14:54,723 --> 00:14:57,443 And I know my mind was racing, "What can we do?" 243 00:14:57,443 --> 00:15:00,243 We weren't really prepared for the ambush which followed. 244 00:15:05,323 --> 00:15:06,803 It was a fait accompli. 245 00:15:08,123 --> 00:15:10,323 They invite us into a much bigger boardroom 246 00:15:11,203 --> 00:15:14,083 to meet lawyers and HR specialists. 247 00:15:15,043 --> 00:15:17,923 And it was really the assassination squad. 248 00:15:17,923 --> 00:15:19,803 They didn't see any other option 249 00:15:19,803 --> 00:15:23,123 apart from to close down the company, make everyone redundant, 250 00:15:23,123 --> 00:15:27,043 they would exit from Formula 1, and they would carry on their business. 251 00:15:28,843 --> 00:15:30,203 Our defences went up, 252 00:15:30,723 --> 00:15:34,803 and we made it clear this was not gonna be just a walk away and turn the lights off. 253 00:15:34,803 --> 00:15:35,923 That wasn't gonna happen. 254 00:15:35,923 --> 00:15:38,523 The magnitude of what we're talking about... 255 00:15:38,523 --> 00:15:40,963 It's just not something you can turn off overnight. 256 00:15:40,963 --> 00:15:43,723 It was incomprehensible they thought that could be done. 257 00:15:44,323 --> 00:15:45,843 It was against the rules. 258 00:15:45,843 --> 00:15:47,283 Against the law. 259 00:15:47,803 --> 00:15:49,923 You know, they didn't really have an option. 260 00:15:50,803 --> 00:15:52,403 And that bought us time. 261 00:15:52,403 --> 00:15:55,763 That bought us time to start to think about what we could do. 262 00:15:57,323 --> 00:16:01,163 Legally, Honda had to put the whole team on three months' notice 263 00:16:01,723 --> 00:16:03,883 with a view to redundancy at the end of it. 264 00:16:04,643 --> 00:16:08,363 But Ross and Nick convinced Honda they could sell the team. 265 00:16:08,363 --> 00:16:11,563 Which would not only be cheaper than making the whole team redundant 266 00:16:11,563 --> 00:16:13,483 and paying off their many contracts, 267 00:16:14,043 --> 00:16:17,403 but also save 700 jobs. 268 00:16:22,123 --> 00:16:28,323 We asked for a month to try and find a buyer for the team. 269 00:16:31,043 --> 00:16:32,163 {\an8}We went back to Brackley, 270 00:16:33,483 --> 00:16:35,363 {\an8}and we told everybody. 271 00:16:39,163 --> 00:16:42,723 Honda has decided to discontinue their Formula 1 activity. 272 00:16:43,523 --> 00:16:46,883 - Fucking hell... - They will not be competing in 2009. 273 00:16:47,443 --> 00:16:51,683 What this means, is that we are all under threat of losing our jobs. 274 00:16:52,523 --> 00:16:55,123 What was it like having to tell all the staff at Brackley 275 00:16:55,123 --> 00:16:56,803 they were on three months' notice? 276 00:16:56,803 --> 00:16:58,163 How did people handle it? 277 00:16:59,003 --> 00:17:03,043 Shock. I think everyone knew the economic situation was dire. 278 00:17:03,563 --> 00:17:05,483 But it was still a massive shock for everyone. 279 00:17:07,963 --> 00:17:10,323 I think my first words were, "But they can't." 280 00:17:10,323 --> 00:17:12,683 "They just can't pull out." 281 00:17:14,563 --> 00:17:17,923 {\an8}It was my job, and it was, you know, 500 other people on-site 282 00:17:17,923 --> 00:17:22,043 {\an8}who weren't sure how they were gonna pay the bills all of a sudden. 283 00:17:22,803 --> 00:17:24,563 It's leading up to Christmas. 284 00:17:24,563 --> 00:17:26,763 We had a financial crisis on our hands. 285 00:17:26,763 --> 00:17:30,043 It probably wasn't going to be the best time to be out of work 286 00:17:30,043 --> 00:17:31,883 and looking for another job. 287 00:17:33,083 --> 00:17:36,643 I had a half-finished house, a fully pregnant wife. 288 00:17:36,643 --> 00:17:39,323 It was quite a lot of emotion to deal with. 289 00:17:41,603 --> 00:17:43,323 The impact of this was huge. 290 00:17:44,083 --> 00:17:48,843 It was really the visible incarnation 291 00:17:48,843 --> 00:17:51,723 of how bad the economic crisis was. 292 00:17:54,083 --> 00:17:57,003 Spiralling costs and little success on the track 293 00:17:57,003 --> 00:17:58,763 means that if a deal isn't struck soon, 294 00:17:58,763 --> 00:18:03,323 the whole team will be closed down, with the loss of 800 British jobs. 295 00:18:09,923 --> 00:18:11,083 Hello, Jenson. 296 00:18:11,083 --> 00:18:12,883 What will you be telling people today? 297 00:18:14,723 --> 00:18:18,163 Richard Goddard, the manager of Jenson, had called me to say, 298 00:18:18,163 --> 00:18:20,843 "Look, we don't think we're gonna be on the grid this year. 299 00:18:20,843 --> 00:18:23,723 Have you got a seat that you could offer Jenson?" 300 00:18:23,723 --> 00:18:26,243 It was like, "Guys, you know, we're full. 301 00:18:26,243 --> 00:18:30,083 It's ten past midnight, you know, and Cinderella's gone." 302 00:18:31,923 --> 00:18:33,803 First of all, I was in shock. 303 00:18:33,803 --> 00:18:37,403 After all we'd been through the last two years, I found it tough. 304 00:18:37,403 --> 00:18:41,323 And he said, "I can't see there's any way out of this." 305 00:18:44,083 --> 00:18:46,843 Your contract's up, and you don't know if there's a team, 306 00:18:46,843 --> 00:18:48,843 and you don't know where you can drive, 307 00:18:48,843 --> 00:18:52,083 and you've been in Formula 1 now for 14 years. 308 00:18:52,083 --> 00:18:53,803 Is your career over? 309 00:18:53,803 --> 00:18:56,803 My wife, at the time, thought I was crazy. 310 00:18:56,803 --> 00:18:58,483 My friends thought I was crazy, 311 00:18:58,483 --> 00:19:03,243 because I kept on thinking that I would have a job. 312 00:19:03,243 --> 00:19:06,443 And I thought, "Okay, should I grab a plane and go there?" 313 00:19:06,443 --> 00:19:08,243 Ross said, "Don't come here. 314 00:19:08,243 --> 00:19:09,803 - It's not a good time." 315 00:19:09,803 --> 00:19:11,963 So, it was a tough period. 316 00:19:15,083 --> 00:19:17,603 They were out of a drive so late in the season, 317 00:19:17,603 --> 00:19:19,323 they couldn't find anywhere else to go. 318 00:19:19,323 --> 00:19:23,243 We knew if we could get going, we would automatically have two good drivers, 319 00:19:23,243 --> 00:19:25,283 and we knew they weren't going anywhere. 320 00:19:25,283 --> 00:19:29,603 I spoke to Ross, and I spoke to Richard, and a few other people. 321 00:19:29,603 --> 00:19:30,683 Sure. 322 00:19:30,683 --> 00:19:33,483 And there are positives, you know? 323 00:19:33,483 --> 00:19:36,883 But the thing is that we need to-- we need to stay positive in ourselves. 324 00:19:36,883 --> 00:19:38,923 Yeah, I think that's the feeling from all of us guys here-- 325 00:19:38,923 --> 00:19:41,843 Exactly. And as-- And as one team. 326 00:19:43,163 --> 00:19:46,443 I remember we gave a speech to the staff. 327 00:19:46,443 --> 00:19:49,523 We explained that if we gave up now, we'd have nothing to sell. 328 00:19:50,283 --> 00:19:51,603 We have two choices: 329 00:19:52,523 --> 00:19:54,803 Walk away with our tails between our legs. 330 00:19:55,523 --> 00:19:56,723 Or we can fight. 331 00:19:57,243 --> 00:19:59,883 - Are we going to fight? - Yes! 332 00:20:00,403 --> 00:20:02,363 - Are we going to fight? - Yes! 333 00:20:03,123 --> 00:20:06,163 {\an8}We were all at risk at that point, 334 00:20:07,083 --> 00:20:09,723 but we were told to carry on. 335 00:20:10,283 --> 00:20:12,763 And we were basically working for our careers. 336 00:20:12,763 --> 00:20:13,923 Working for our future. 337 00:20:15,603 --> 00:20:19,923 The effort we had to put in at the time was massive. 338 00:20:20,683 --> 00:20:24,723 We had to all push hard for these next few months 339 00:20:24,723 --> 00:20:26,603 to give ourselves the best opportunity, 340 00:20:26,603 --> 00:20:32,003 and none of us must ease up in the commitment we needed. 341 00:20:32,603 --> 00:20:37,123 That, I think, was one of the things that really, really impacted all of us, 342 00:20:37,123 --> 00:20:39,163 was that very few people left. 343 00:20:39,163 --> 00:20:43,083 Very few people chose to run for the doors. 344 00:20:43,723 --> 00:20:45,763 In the back of everybody's mind, you're thinking, 345 00:20:45,763 --> 00:20:47,003 "Well, Ross is still here. 346 00:20:47,523 --> 00:20:48,603 We must be okay." 347 00:20:50,283 --> 00:20:51,923 {\an8}2008, we'd almost sacrificed 348 00:20:51,923 --> 00:20:55,843 {\an8}to make sure 2009 was gonna be a strong year for us. 349 00:20:55,843 --> 00:20:57,323 This isn't the time to stop. 350 00:20:57,843 --> 00:21:00,603 No way that this car doesn't make Melbourne. 351 00:21:00,603 --> 00:21:04,283 Even if we arrive like that, and we do just one race. 352 00:21:04,283 --> 00:21:05,523 We have to do it. 353 00:21:06,963 --> 00:21:11,243 The spirit of those people in that adversity was fantastic. 354 00:21:11,243 --> 00:21:12,523 They kept the team alive. 355 00:21:12,523 --> 00:21:15,403 It gave us something to take into 2009. 356 00:21:18,203 --> 00:21:21,003 The latest is that we continue to work here. 357 00:21:21,003 --> 00:21:24,043 The staff will be paid by Honda for at least the next three months 358 00:21:24,043 --> 00:21:25,403 and, during that time, 359 00:21:25,403 --> 00:21:28,643 we're hoping to find someone who wishes to take over the team. 360 00:21:30,723 --> 00:21:33,283 You kinda have a clock ticking, right? 361 00:21:33,283 --> 00:21:36,643 I mean, the first race, I believe, is March 29th. 362 00:21:36,643 --> 00:21:39,883 To survive, you need to get investment. 363 00:21:39,883 --> 00:21:43,803 The technical side, you know, Ross went off and handled. 364 00:21:43,803 --> 00:21:47,523 The finding investors was really, you know, down to me. 365 00:21:48,563 --> 00:21:50,723 When these type of things happen, 366 00:21:50,723 --> 00:21:54,163 you know, the world is full of opportunists. 367 00:21:54,923 --> 00:21:56,523 And everyone wanted to be in there. 368 00:21:57,163 --> 00:21:59,843 And the chance of having their own team was huge. 369 00:22:00,443 --> 00:22:01,883 There were people who, 370 00:22:01,883 --> 00:22:04,603 when we checked their backgrounds, they were pretty iffy. 371 00:22:04,603 --> 00:22:06,723 I mean, two of them went to jail after that. 372 00:22:06,723 --> 00:22:09,643 Yeah, we were in the middle of the huge financial crisis. 373 00:22:09,643 --> 00:22:12,723 I mean, they were opportunists in the extreme. 374 00:22:12,723 --> 00:22:14,283 Everyone who came and looked at it, 375 00:22:14,283 --> 00:22:16,363 were asking money from Honda to take it over. 376 00:22:16,363 --> 00:22:18,523 That's why Honda thought they would just shut it, 377 00:22:18,523 --> 00:22:22,963 'cause they knew no one would be able to come in and make that sort of commitment. 378 00:22:23,963 --> 00:22:25,683 But there was. 379 00:22:25,683 --> 00:22:26,763 In a way. 380 00:22:31,083 --> 00:22:33,923 I came up with the idea of a management buyout, 381 00:22:33,923 --> 00:22:36,923 in the absence of any other alternative. 382 00:22:38,043 --> 00:22:39,883 For Honda, as an organisation, 383 00:22:39,883 --> 00:22:44,043 {\an8}the idea of the management buying in, rather than a third party, 384 00:22:44,043 --> 00:22:46,123 it just wasn't a way that they would normally work, 385 00:22:46,123 --> 00:22:49,963 so it wasn't easy to convince them that this was an option. 386 00:22:49,963 --> 00:22:53,323 I think it was viewed from their side, quite understandably, 387 00:22:53,323 --> 00:22:55,803 as rewarding failure. 388 00:22:55,803 --> 00:22:57,803 I mean, we had not been successful. 389 00:22:58,403 --> 00:23:00,563 But this is the only option we've got on the table. 390 00:23:00,563 --> 00:23:03,243 It's this or the team gets shut down. 391 00:23:04,043 --> 00:23:06,883 And I think the key thing was Ross. 392 00:23:06,883 --> 00:23:09,923 I trust Ross very much. 393 00:23:10,443 --> 00:23:15,323 So, if Ross is there, I can sell the team to him. 394 00:23:16,163 --> 00:23:18,123 I think they felt a responsibility to me. 395 00:23:18,123 --> 00:23:20,003 They felt a responsibility to the people. 396 00:23:20,523 --> 00:23:23,403 And they could see that was a more honourable deal 397 00:23:23,403 --> 00:23:25,043 than just shutting the whole thing down. 398 00:23:25,043 --> 00:23:26,963 I spoke to my wife about it. 399 00:23:26,963 --> 00:23:28,883 She said, "Financially ring-fence the house, 400 00:23:28,883 --> 00:23:30,723 and then you can go and do whatever you want." 401 00:23:30,723 --> 00:23:34,483 Honda's Formula 1 team looks set to be rebranded in the new season. 402 00:23:34,483 --> 00:23:37,163 There were fears it would shut down altogether. 403 00:23:37,163 --> 00:23:39,603 Now, a senior figure within the team has said 404 00:23:39,603 --> 00:23:42,443 that they will be on the starting grid in a few weeks' time. 405 00:23:42,443 --> 00:23:46,923 In a way, you persuaded Honda to change their minds and take this on board. 406 00:23:46,923 --> 00:23:49,563 They would have spent a hundred million dollars to shut the company. 407 00:23:49,563 --> 00:23:52,603 We said, "Don't waste that money 'cause then there is nothing left. 408 00:23:52,603 --> 00:23:54,763 If you allow us to buy the team, 409 00:23:54,763 --> 00:23:58,483 and you give us $90 million of close-down costs, 410 00:23:58,483 --> 00:24:00,923 we could run a skeleton operation of the company. 411 00:24:00,923 --> 00:24:04,563 We'll take on all the responsibilities for the people. 412 00:24:04,563 --> 00:24:07,043 So, why not go racing for a year if we can do it?" 413 00:24:10,763 --> 00:24:14,363 Why do people say that you were the one pound Formula 1 Team? 414 00:24:15,283 --> 00:24:19,563 When we finally closed the deal, I gave a pound to the Honda executive, 415 00:24:20,123 --> 00:24:21,443 to formalise the deal. 416 00:24:22,123 --> 00:24:23,603 And I know he still has it. 417 00:24:23,603 --> 00:24:25,643 - Do you have the pound? - Yes. 418 00:24:25,643 --> 00:24:27,363 - Is it here? - Yeah. 419 00:24:27,363 --> 00:24:29,003 - Do you want to check? - I wanna check. 420 00:24:29,003 --> 00:24:31,763 I wanna see the pound that bought the team. 421 00:24:32,803 --> 00:24:35,163 I bring-- Always, I bring this one. 422 00:24:38,203 --> 00:24:42,243 Did you ever think what you were going to name this team? 423 00:24:43,563 --> 00:24:45,483 There was a lot of debate about that. 424 00:24:46,003 --> 00:24:47,803 That was my marketing contribution. 425 00:24:47,803 --> 00:24:49,803 - The name? - The name. 426 00:24:52,243 --> 00:24:56,083 I was embarrassed about the idea, but everyone seemed to like it. 427 00:24:56,763 --> 00:24:57,843 And the idea stuck, 428 00:24:57,843 --> 00:25:01,923 and I must admit, I was very flattered and honoured it was named after me. 429 00:25:02,643 --> 00:25:08,803 The thought of the team having our family name, 430 00:25:09,523 --> 00:25:13,483 {\an8}my first reaction to that was, "Is there an alternative?" 431 00:25:13,483 --> 00:25:15,963 I thought, "This car had never tested." 432 00:25:15,963 --> 00:25:17,883 Didn't know whether it was reliable. 433 00:25:17,883 --> 00:25:19,043 How quick it was. 434 00:25:20,203 --> 00:25:21,923 - And it's going out with the name. - Mmm. 435 00:25:23,643 --> 00:25:26,803 {\an8} It was kind of like having your mate put his name on a Formula 1 car 436 00:25:26,803 --> 00:25:29,003 and saying, "That's a GP team." 437 00:25:29,683 --> 00:25:31,243 Okay, is it that simple? 438 00:25:31,923 --> 00:25:32,963 But it is. 439 00:25:33,883 --> 00:25:36,283 Ross is now a team owner. 440 00:25:36,283 --> 00:25:37,643 A boss. 441 00:25:37,643 --> 00:25:38,843 A colleague. 442 00:25:38,843 --> 00:25:40,723 Yes, I was surprised about it. 443 00:25:40,723 --> 00:25:42,603 Did you think they would be any good? 444 00:25:44,323 --> 00:25:46,363 Uh, Ross is a person, 445 00:25:47,123 --> 00:25:49,723 and this is one of his strengths: 446 00:25:49,723 --> 00:25:54,243 Uh, very good to plan. 447 00:25:54,243 --> 00:25:56,683 What I have to do this year, next year, 448 00:25:56,683 --> 00:26:01,283 because in Formula 1 you cannot succeed in 12 months, 449 00:26:01,283 --> 00:26:05,643 even in 24 months, unless you can have help. 450 00:26:06,843 --> 00:26:11,443 There's been an enormous amount of activity behind the scenes. 451 00:26:11,443 --> 00:26:16,523 Everyone on the stage here has helped us preserve our team, 452 00:26:16,523 --> 00:26:23,203 and, I think, myself, Ross, and our 700 employees all thank them for that. 453 00:26:24,283 --> 00:26:28,403 It's the first time in Formula 1's history, that I've been involved in, 454 00:26:28,403 --> 00:26:32,203 that I've seen all the teams come collectively together 455 00:26:32,203 --> 00:26:34,043 to try and keep the little guys, 456 00:26:34,043 --> 00:26:38,283 and to give Ross the opportunity to salvage it or sell it. 457 00:26:38,923 --> 00:26:40,803 But, of course, his big problem was gonna be, 458 00:26:41,603 --> 00:26:43,603 what engine does he take? 459 00:26:44,403 --> 00:26:46,043 That was not a small problem. 460 00:26:46,043 --> 00:26:48,323 - That's a huge problem. - Correct. 461 00:26:48,323 --> 00:26:50,283 We went to Honda initially and said, 462 00:26:50,283 --> 00:26:52,843 "Look, you know, we understand you wanna pull out of this 463 00:26:52,843 --> 00:26:55,243 but can you please sell us your engine?" 464 00:26:55,803 --> 00:26:57,883 And we got a point-blank no. 465 00:26:57,883 --> 00:27:04,843 We are sure that the former Honda team can have a future. 466 00:27:04,843 --> 00:27:08,723 Everybody wanted us to survive, but we didn't have an engine. 467 00:27:09,243 --> 00:27:11,803 We'd had assurances from Ferrari and Mercedes 468 00:27:11,803 --> 00:27:13,643 that they would help us with the engine, 469 00:27:13,643 --> 00:27:17,203 but we didn't know that much about whether a Ferrari engine 470 00:27:17,203 --> 00:27:19,443 or a Mercedes engine would even fit the car. 471 00:27:20,283 --> 00:27:22,683 You're not gonna beat Ferrari with a Ferrari engine, 472 00:27:22,683 --> 00:27:26,323 because as you get close, you'll find that yours just gets worse and worse. 473 00:27:27,163 --> 00:27:30,283 Mercedes-Benz had a 25-year history with McLaren. 474 00:27:31,443 --> 00:27:36,163 McLaren had an exclusive right to the Mercedes engine, 475 00:27:36,163 --> 00:27:39,243 unless they agreed otherwise. 476 00:27:40,323 --> 00:27:46,803 Martin Whitmarsh was leading the Formula 1 Teams Association, FOTA. 477 00:27:47,323 --> 00:27:53,083 He pushed Norbert Haug at Mercedes and the board at Mercedes to say, 478 00:27:53,083 --> 00:27:55,403 "Come on. We've got to keep this team involved in the sport. 479 00:27:56,123 --> 00:27:57,483 Give them an engine." 480 00:27:57,483 --> 00:28:00,603 He said, "Look, I'm a little bit nervous to ask you this question, 481 00:28:00,603 --> 00:28:02,963 but my board are worried you're gonna go under 482 00:28:02,963 --> 00:28:04,563 and you won't have paid your bills. 483 00:28:05,083 --> 00:28:07,163 So, what guarantees can we set up?" 484 00:28:07,163 --> 00:28:08,243 - Pay us up front. - Yes, uh-- 485 00:28:08,243 --> 00:28:10,163 - Let's give you the engines. - Yes, certainly. 486 00:28:10,163 --> 00:28:11,643 Yeah, I wasn't like that, 487 00:28:11,643 --> 00:28:18,403 but, you know, I was politely asking for paying as soon as possible. 488 00:28:21,483 --> 00:28:24,403 Would you have given you an engine? 489 00:28:25,643 --> 00:28:26,843 I'd like to say yes. 490 00:28:27,483 --> 00:28:29,803 But, as always, until you've faced that situation, 491 00:28:29,803 --> 00:28:31,083 you don't know for sure. 492 00:28:41,923 --> 00:28:43,363 When we got the Mercedes engine, 493 00:28:43,363 --> 00:28:49,003 it was getting to the point whereby making the first race was a big ask. 494 00:28:50,483 --> 00:28:52,843 Even to contemplate that, at that time of the year, 495 00:28:53,363 --> 00:28:55,083 that's horrendous. 496 00:28:56,523 --> 00:28:58,683 There was some massive challenges ahead of us, 497 00:28:58,683 --> 00:29:03,403 but I think there was genuine bounce in the whole organisation. 498 00:29:03,403 --> 00:29:05,603 You know, we've come through this. We've got a chance now. 499 00:29:05,603 --> 00:29:07,003 We're not gonna waste it. 500 00:29:07,963 --> 00:29:13,203 {\an8}It brought people completely together, and it was just an amazing atmosphere. 501 00:29:13,203 --> 00:29:17,083 And you felt very much part of a really unique team 502 00:29:17,083 --> 00:29:20,923 that could rely on each other to do what needed to be done. 503 00:29:21,803 --> 00:29:24,003 Basically, they've done a cut and shut. 504 00:29:24,003 --> 00:29:30,163 You know, to get the engine and gearbox, to shoehorn it into the car. 505 00:29:32,603 --> 00:29:33,643 For six days, 506 00:29:33,643 --> 00:29:37,763 there were three shifts working 24 hours on the car. 507 00:29:38,923 --> 00:29:39,963 Yep. 508 00:29:41,283 --> 00:29:43,843 What they achieved with that, I don't think it's ever been done before. 509 00:29:43,843 --> 00:29:48,443 To install a new engine in a car that's designed for a different manufacturer. 510 00:29:48,443 --> 00:29:49,763 Like, mind-blowing. 511 00:30:01,523 --> 00:30:03,523 In that period, before we ran the car, 512 00:30:04,083 --> 00:30:05,603 people were out testing on tracks. 513 00:30:05,603 --> 00:30:06,723 We knew. 514 00:30:08,203 --> 00:30:10,523 And we'd had a simulation and a prediction, 515 00:30:10,523 --> 00:30:12,923 which showed us what sort of lap time we could expect. 516 00:30:12,923 --> 00:30:15,403 And we couldn't understand where we'd gone wrong, 517 00:30:15,403 --> 00:30:19,563 because our simulation showed we would be a second, a second and a half quicker 518 00:30:20,163 --> 00:30:23,123 than what the people were achieving at Barcelona. 519 00:30:26,043 --> 00:30:28,923 We, of course, being very, very sceptical 520 00:30:28,923 --> 00:30:31,963 about the numbers guys back at the factory, we're like, 521 00:30:31,963 --> 00:30:34,523 "Well, you've clearly got your numbers wrong then, haven't you? Duh." 522 00:30:34,523 --> 00:30:37,683 You know, as if we're gonna be two seconds faster than everybody. 523 00:30:37,683 --> 00:30:40,283 And they're like, "Okay, we've checked the numbers. 524 00:30:40,283 --> 00:30:42,283 We're still two seconds faster than everybody." 525 00:30:43,203 --> 00:30:46,123 -"Really?" - And that came through the factory. 526 00:30:46,123 --> 00:30:48,363 You know, have we really made a big cock-up here, 527 00:30:48,363 --> 00:30:51,243 or have we got something very special on our hands? 528 00:30:53,963 --> 00:30:56,763 We took the car to do a shakedown at Silverstone. 529 00:30:58,603 --> 00:31:03,083 A sort of hilariously amateurish outfit that we must've appeared to be. 530 00:31:04,203 --> 00:31:06,523 - It was pretty much like camping. 531 00:31:08,363 --> 00:31:11,603 Before a car went testing with the other teams, 532 00:31:11,603 --> 00:31:15,163 they needed to run the car privately to make sure nothing fell off 533 00:31:15,163 --> 00:31:17,243 and it ran the way it was supposed to. 534 00:31:19,003 --> 00:31:21,003 It fired up. I drove out. 535 00:31:23,923 --> 00:31:26,403 And just seeing the smiles on everyone's faces... 536 00:31:29,843 --> 00:31:34,483 It was a nice moment because, you know, seeing the thing roll on track, 537 00:31:34,483 --> 00:31:37,123 that was the point where it suddenly becomes a reality. 538 00:31:38,763 --> 00:31:41,443 We learned nothing about the performance of the car, frankly. 539 00:31:41,443 --> 00:31:43,683 We were just driving round in circles, but it worked. 540 00:31:45,243 --> 00:31:46,323 So far, so good. 541 00:31:47,603 --> 00:31:51,403 That car got packed in a truck, and got packed to the Barcelona test. 542 00:32:00,243 --> 00:32:03,923 The first test was the first time we saw the double diffuser on a Toyota, 543 00:32:03,923 --> 00:32:05,243 and it was on the Williams. 544 00:32:06,403 --> 00:32:11,643 When Ross's car finally broke cover at Silverstone on a shakedown, 545 00:32:11,643 --> 00:32:13,723 from the pictures that we saw-- 546 00:32:13,723 --> 00:32:16,083 You saw pictures? How did you get pictures? 547 00:32:16,083 --> 00:32:17,483 That got leaked... 548 00:32:20,003 --> 00:32:21,803 We could see it had a double diffuser. 549 00:32:24,683 --> 00:32:26,363 I'm sure they weren't that worried about us, 550 00:32:26,363 --> 00:32:27,843 because why should they be, you know? 551 00:32:27,843 --> 00:32:29,603 We'd thrown a car together with the wrong engine, 552 00:32:29,603 --> 00:32:32,403 and we had a long history of not being desperately competitive 553 00:32:32,403 --> 00:32:35,643 when we had six months to make a car, let alone six weeks. 554 00:32:35,643 --> 00:32:38,963 We didn't look like a credible threat to anybody, I'm sure. 555 00:32:41,043 --> 00:32:45,163 When Honda withdraws, Ross Brawn says, with Nick Fry, 556 00:32:45,163 --> 00:32:48,963 "We'll put the management company together, and we're gonna keep it alive." 557 00:32:48,963 --> 00:32:54,283 You... [chuckles] ...are looking at going from Ferrari to Honda, 558 00:32:54,283 --> 00:32:56,163 to an independent team... 559 00:32:58,203 --> 00:32:59,763 with no resources, 560 00:33:00,403 --> 00:33:02,403 with no sponsorship. 561 00:33:04,123 --> 00:33:06,003 But you're not at the shakedown. 562 00:33:06,003 --> 00:33:07,083 Yes, I wasn't. 563 00:33:07,643 --> 00:33:08,643 Why? 564 00:33:08,643 --> 00:33:11,403 Because I didn't have a contract up to that time. 565 00:33:13,363 --> 00:33:16,083 Jenson was always on board, I think, in our minds. 566 00:33:16,803 --> 00:33:19,563 Rubens had been an option. 567 00:33:19,563 --> 00:33:20,963 He didn't have a contract. 568 00:33:21,763 --> 00:33:24,483 I mean, this is not a derogatory statement, 569 00:33:24,483 --> 00:33:26,563 but he was a comfortable pair of slippers. 570 00:33:26,563 --> 00:33:30,283 He was someone I'd worked with, and I knew exactly how he thought. 571 00:33:30,283 --> 00:33:31,923 I knew I could rely on him. 572 00:33:31,923 --> 00:33:34,683 But it was tempting because there were two or three guys 573 00:33:34,683 --> 00:33:37,763 still hanging around with big sponsorship deals, 574 00:33:37,763 --> 00:33:40,523 and they could bring quite a lot of money to the team. 575 00:33:41,603 --> 00:33:45,603 But I think I managed to persuade the rest of the team 576 00:33:45,603 --> 00:33:48,323 that actually Rubens would be a good investment. 577 00:33:51,043 --> 00:33:53,923 I think they'd done six days of testing already, all the teams. 578 00:33:56,483 --> 00:33:58,483 I remember Ross just coming over and saying, 579 00:33:58,483 --> 00:34:00,243 "Be careful." 580 00:34:00,243 --> 00:34:02,763 You know, we didn't-- We weren't flush with parts. 581 00:34:11,523 --> 00:34:15,563 Jenson went out and did a few laps, and came in and said, 582 00:34:15,563 --> 00:34:18,363 "Oh, the balance isn't good," this, that, and the other, 583 00:34:18,363 --> 00:34:20,243 and we said, "Okay, 584 00:34:20,923 --> 00:34:23,803 but you've just done the second fastest lap of the test, the whole test, 585 00:34:23,803 --> 00:34:25,963 and we've-- we started late because we weren't ready." 586 00:34:25,963 --> 00:34:29,083 And I was like, "What?" 587 00:34:29,083 --> 00:34:33,443 And then when he started to get the car adjusted, then he went the fastest. 588 00:34:37,323 --> 00:34:39,483 Quite clearly, the car was exceptional. 589 00:34:40,443 --> 00:34:43,923 To the point, as you may know, a lot of mechanics went out and put bets on it. 590 00:34:47,563 --> 00:34:49,603 They were pretty fast straight away, 591 00:34:49,603 --> 00:34:54,363 and everyone, all of the other teams, including myself, we were sure that-- 592 00:34:54,363 --> 00:34:58,803 I mean, you know, Ross Brawn took the team on the last moment. 593 00:34:58,803 --> 00:35:02,443 They have no money, so they need to find a sponsor. 594 00:35:02,443 --> 00:35:05,683 So it's a time to show that the car is competitive, 595 00:35:05,683 --> 00:35:09,083 so they just removed the weight of the car, just to be quick. 596 00:35:12,243 --> 00:35:17,003 The inevitable publicity that surrounds test performance. 597 00:35:17,003 --> 00:35:19,203 {\an8}See? Some of the teams that are seeking money 598 00:35:19,203 --> 00:35:23,603 {\an8}actually running their cars with the objective of doing one fast lap. 599 00:35:23,603 --> 00:35:26,803 Of course, one fast lap is very important when it comes to qualifying, 600 00:35:26,803 --> 00:35:29,283 but it's relatively unimportant when it comes to the race. 601 00:35:32,243 --> 00:35:33,963 Can this car really be that competitive? 602 00:35:33,963 --> 00:35:35,683 It's so late. They've got no money. 603 00:35:36,763 --> 00:35:41,083 But then you think this is the most developed car under these regulations. 604 00:35:42,843 --> 00:35:44,523 From the moment Ross arrived, 605 00:35:44,523 --> 00:35:48,083 he forgot the existing car and just focused on the future car. 606 00:35:50,603 --> 00:35:55,483 The car full of fuel was quicker than the other cars with no fuel in it. 607 00:35:55,483 --> 00:35:59,243 And suddenly think, "Oh, you know, okay. These guys are seriously quick." 608 00:35:59,243 --> 00:36:00,643 Yes, they're chasing a sponsor, 609 00:36:00,643 --> 00:36:04,963 but the pace of this car and just watching it on track, 610 00:36:04,963 --> 00:36:06,523 it looked totally hooked up. 611 00:36:07,083 --> 00:36:10,443 When you saw how fast they were... 612 00:36:10,443 --> 00:36:11,363 Hmm. 613 00:36:12,403 --> 00:36:13,563 I said, "Listen, 614 00:36:13,563 --> 00:36:18,963 despite I respect Ross, despite I respect his capability, 615 00:36:20,083 --> 00:36:26,043 but in such a short time, to have such a competitive car 616 00:36:26,683 --> 00:36:28,843 looked, to me, very strange." 617 00:36:29,603 --> 00:36:34,203 So maybe the interpretation of the rules was fantastic. 618 00:36:34,203 --> 00:36:39,803 They were lucky to find the best way to be competitive, 619 00:36:39,803 --> 00:36:45,923 or something that was not a hundred per cent inside the rules. 620 00:37:03,243 --> 00:37:07,603 Can we put on a show for you in Melbourne? 621 00:37:10,163 --> 00:37:11,803 I think we could've maybe challenged. 622 00:37:11,803 --> 00:37:13,603 Nah, uh, I think we're gonna get to Q2. 623 00:37:13,603 --> 00:37:14,883 Q2, yeah. 624 00:37:18,563 --> 00:37:19,963 That first race... 625 00:37:22,083 --> 00:37:24,803 was the launch of Brawn GP? 626 00:37:26,043 --> 00:37:28,683 Yep. That's where the story really started. 627 00:37:31,203 --> 00:37:34,803 We were a team that's come from nowhere. No one expected us to be here. 628 00:37:35,723 --> 00:37:39,123 Do your job this weekend. Keep your head clear. 629 00:37:39,123 --> 00:37:40,563 We've got a strong chance. 630 00:37:42,963 --> 00:37:45,963 You know, we had missed so much of the winter of testing, 631 00:37:47,203 --> 00:37:52,083 but everyone just seemed so comfortable in themselves and confident in us as a team. 632 00:37:52,083 --> 00:37:54,803 It felt like a-- a family. 633 00:37:54,803 --> 00:37:58,803 I think the winter that we went through together really brought us a lot closer. 634 00:38:00,923 --> 00:38:03,403 As is consistent with tradition, 635 00:38:04,443 --> 00:38:08,563 you're the new team, you go right at the far end of the pit lane. 636 00:38:09,443 --> 00:38:13,923 Ferrari, Red Bull, all those guys, more trucks, more space, 637 00:38:13,923 --> 00:38:16,883 massive motorhomes, all showing off, having a great time. 638 00:38:17,723 --> 00:38:19,523 And it did really, sort of, 639 00:38:19,523 --> 00:38:22,443 help us feel like we were fighting our way out of a corner. 640 00:38:24,643 --> 00:38:26,723 It was an eye-opening experience for all of us, 641 00:38:26,723 --> 00:38:30,763 because there were literally half as many people involved in the race operation. 642 00:38:31,483 --> 00:38:36,043 Instead of having 20 guys from Honda worrying about the engine, 643 00:38:36,043 --> 00:38:38,603 we got one guy who told us not to overheat it. 644 00:38:38,603 --> 00:38:40,283 - And that was it. 645 00:38:40,283 --> 00:38:41,523 We were the underdogs, 646 00:38:41,523 --> 00:38:43,963 and it's hard to explain the emotion when you're the underdog. 647 00:38:44,843 --> 00:38:46,723 We had built this car that didn't exist. 648 00:38:46,723 --> 00:38:49,003 We had cut the back off a chassis and bolted an engine to it. 649 00:38:49,003 --> 00:38:50,963 That simply shouldn't be done. 650 00:38:51,843 --> 00:38:53,203 And yet, got it to Melbourne. 651 00:38:56,363 --> 00:39:00,043 To survive, you need to get investment. 652 00:39:00,043 --> 00:39:04,923 One of the investors who ultimately ended up on the car was Richard Branson. 653 00:39:08,443 --> 00:39:11,323 Richard did not approach me. Far from it. 654 00:39:12,243 --> 00:39:14,243 He was a competitor in lots of ways. 655 00:39:15,083 --> 00:39:18,363 Richard wanted to, uh, own the team. 656 00:39:18,363 --> 00:39:20,443 He didn't want to just be a sponsor. 657 00:39:21,083 --> 00:39:24,883 Richard had made a proposal to Honda quite late in the day, 658 00:39:24,883 --> 00:39:29,083 which, as it turns out, was nothing like as attractive as a management buyout. 659 00:39:30,803 --> 00:39:34,563 I think that Brawn was obviously wanting to own the team. 660 00:39:34,563 --> 00:39:37,523 He wanted us to be a sponsor, not an owner. 661 00:39:39,403 --> 00:39:40,643 We needed money. 662 00:39:41,363 --> 00:39:44,723 Clearly, he saw opportunity from a business point of view. 663 00:39:46,683 --> 00:39:50,563 He said that for a couple of million, we were the, sort of, title sponsors. 664 00:39:51,883 --> 00:39:54,083 You know, we didn't actually sign anything. 665 00:39:54,083 --> 00:39:56,803 We agreed that we'd sign when we met in Australia. 666 00:39:57,723 --> 00:40:02,163 I got "Fly Virgin Atlantic" stickers printed off, 667 00:40:02,163 --> 00:40:07,803 and I quite liked the idea of being this, sort of, underdog brand with Ross, 668 00:40:07,803 --> 00:40:09,283 taking on the giants. 669 00:40:10,843 --> 00:40:12,803 You've definitely got the prettiest minders here, Richard. 670 00:40:12,803 --> 00:40:15,043 - I think we're doing all right. - We're doing all right. 671 00:40:15,043 --> 00:40:16,403 I think we're doing all right. 672 00:40:17,843 --> 00:40:21,083 When Richard came in the paddock, it was pandemonium. 673 00:40:21,083 --> 00:40:23,603 He was great. He did a great press conference for us. 674 00:40:23,603 --> 00:40:26,323 The attention of the paddock was on him. 675 00:40:33,123 --> 00:40:34,683 He got fantastic value 676 00:40:34,683 --> 00:40:38,323 because the sponsorship package he bought was relatively modest, 677 00:40:38,323 --> 00:40:40,043 but everyone thought it was Richard's team. 678 00:40:42,243 --> 00:40:45,443 This Brawn GP seems to fly very fast. 679 00:40:45,443 --> 00:40:48,923 Well, the Virgin car now, uh, is planning to fly. 680 00:40:50,883 --> 00:40:52,843 Brilliant timing for him. Yeah. 681 00:40:52,843 --> 00:40:54,963 - The saviour. - Snowballed from-- To save us, yes. 682 00:40:54,963 --> 00:40:57,603 Which, um, not quite the angle we were hoping for, 683 00:40:57,603 --> 00:41:00,763 but, uh, it did bring some money in at the time. 684 00:41:01,723 --> 00:41:06,803 Before the race on Sunday, the cars do timed laps on Saturday 685 00:41:06,803 --> 00:41:10,003 to see what position they start the race from. 686 00:41:10,003 --> 00:41:13,563 The fastest car starts at the front in pole position. 687 00:41:13,563 --> 00:41:15,643 The slowest, at the back. 688 00:41:15,643 --> 00:41:17,243 You'll definitely need headphones. 689 00:41:17,243 --> 00:41:18,163 Okay. 690 00:41:18,163 --> 00:41:21,603 New season, new regulations and, who knows, 691 00:41:21,603 --> 00:41:26,923 perhaps are we about to see a new order in the shootout for pole? 692 00:41:29,283 --> 00:41:33,443 This is, as they always say, when the bullshit stops. 693 00:41:33,443 --> 00:41:38,643 For what everybody had been through, and for what we knew we had in our hands, 694 00:41:38,643 --> 00:41:41,283 our responsibility now was to make this count. 695 00:41:41,803 --> 00:41:45,203 I was so over the moon to be driving such a car, 696 00:41:45,883 --> 00:41:48,643 but it did give me a little bit of pressure, 697 00:41:48,643 --> 00:41:52,403 because we didn't have many kilometres on the car, 698 00:41:52,403 --> 00:41:54,883 and we had to look after it for the race. 699 00:41:56,163 --> 00:41:57,963 Didn't they tell you you couldn't crash? 700 00:41:58,883 --> 00:42:01,483 You're going to your first race in Melbourne, right? 701 00:42:01,483 --> 00:42:04,643 They were like, "Uh, go quick, fellas." 702 00:42:04,643 --> 00:42:05,883 - Yeah. -"But don't crash." 703 00:42:05,883 --> 00:42:08,243 Make sure you win on the way, yeah, but don't crash. Yeah. 704 00:42:08,243 --> 00:42:11,443 But don't crash because we don't have, what, spare parts? 705 00:42:11,443 --> 00:42:14,403 That went for every lap of practice. 706 00:42:15,443 --> 00:42:17,083 But as racing drivers, 707 00:42:18,003 --> 00:42:20,003 you're not very good at taking it easy. 708 00:42:21,123 --> 00:42:23,523 You either push to the limit, or you're nothing. 709 00:42:24,163 --> 00:42:25,803 We pushed to the limit. 710 00:42:28,923 --> 00:42:30,283 Here is Jenson Button. 711 00:42:30,283 --> 00:42:32,163 He's on the pit straight. He knows the time to beat. 712 00:42:42,083 --> 00:42:44,203 Jenson Button on pole position, 713 00:42:44,203 --> 00:42:47,243 Rubens Barrichello will be alongside him on the grid. 714 00:42:52,043 --> 00:42:55,203 We knew the car was quick after Barcelona, but we didn't quite know just how quick. 715 00:42:55,203 --> 00:42:57,363 Everyone plays around a little bit with fuel loads, 716 00:42:57,363 --> 00:42:59,283 with the age of the tyres, with the engine. 717 00:43:00,003 --> 00:43:03,603 We qualified in Melbourne with more fuel than pretty much the whole grid. 718 00:43:05,883 --> 00:43:06,963 Nice work. 719 00:43:06,963 --> 00:43:09,123 It was really quite emotional. 720 00:43:09,123 --> 00:43:10,763 I don't say that lightly. 721 00:43:10,763 --> 00:43:13,843 It was quite an emotional time, you know, 722 00:43:13,843 --> 00:43:16,923 to be seeing that we can actually get this car on pole. 723 00:43:16,923 --> 00:43:18,963 Hey, Richard, where's the chicks? 724 00:43:18,963 --> 00:43:20,963 - I don't know. Don't know. 725 00:43:20,963 --> 00:43:24,283 You realise this is, actually, the first time in 39 years 726 00:43:24,283 --> 00:43:28,203 that a new team has taken pole position in its first race. That's amazing. 727 00:43:29,243 --> 00:43:32,883 Uh, as I say, um, we're lucky bastards, as they say in England. 728 00:43:33,963 --> 00:43:35,563 We were lucky bastards indeed. 729 00:43:36,523 --> 00:43:40,803 It's special for us because we've had such a torrid winter. 730 00:43:40,803 --> 00:43:42,883 You know, every day, it's been up and down, you know? 731 00:43:42,883 --> 00:43:45,163 One day it looks positive and we're gonna be racing this year, 732 00:43:45,163 --> 00:43:46,603 and the next day, it's not. 733 00:43:46,603 --> 00:43:49,923 So, this isn't the end of it, you know? Tomorrow is the race. 734 00:43:50,923 --> 00:43:54,003 Rubens, describe the roller coaster of emotions that you've had. 735 00:43:54,003 --> 00:43:56,243 A few weeks ago, you weren't even sure if you had a seat, 736 00:43:56,243 --> 00:43:58,763 and now you've got a front row of the grid. 737 00:43:58,763 --> 00:44:02,763 Yeah, it's, uh-- it's, uh-- You know, I'm very grateful for the moment I have. 738 00:44:02,763 --> 00:44:07,683 It's a good story for F1, and, um, certainly a good story for us. 739 00:44:10,443 --> 00:44:12,883 Our competitors, they were all rattled. 740 00:44:17,243 --> 00:44:20,203 We knew there was an awful lot of interest in the car. 741 00:44:20,203 --> 00:44:21,683 "Interest", is that what you'd call it? 742 00:44:21,683 --> 00:44:23,043 Yeah, I'd say-- Yeah, interest. 743 00:44:25,403 --> 00:44:28,203 One of the guys from Ferrari came down with a torch, 744 00:44:28,203 --> 00:44:31,483 and he sort of lays on the ground to get a look underneath the car 745 00:44:31,483 --> 00:44:32,563 at the double diffuser. 746 00:44:34,003 --> 00:44:37,723 And Ross just walked up to him and grabbed his belt buckle, 747 00:44:37,723 --> 00:44:39,323 and picked him up off the floor, 748 00:44:39,323 --> 00:44:42,363 and said something to him in Italian, and off he went. 749 00:44:42,363 --> 00:44:43,523 - No? - Yeah. 750 00:44:44,963 --> 00:44:46,043 The bear moved in. 751 00:44:46,043 --> 00:44:47,243 Yep. 752 00:44:47,243 --> 00:44:48,803 Grabbed him by the belt buckle! 753 00:44:48,803 --> 00:44:52,243 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Picked him up by his belt, and picked him up off the floor, 754 00:44:52,243 --> 00:44:55,683 and kindly reminded him that that's not really the way we do things. 755 00:44:56,603 --> 00:44:59,163 You don't get on the floor and try and have a look at things underneath 756 00:44:59,163 --> 00:45:00,083 or anything like that. 757 00:45:00,083 --> 00:45:01,843 - You don't look up the skirt. - Yeah, exactly. 758 00:45:01,843 --> 00:45:03,643 That's a good way of putting it, yeah. 759 00:45:03,643 --> 00:45:09,203 Did you already feel that they were going to protest the cars? 760 00:45:09,203 --> 00:45:10,563 Yeah. 761 00:45:17,083 --> 00:45:18,563 - Look at the hole on this, huh? - Eh? 762 00:45:18,563 --> 00:45:19,643 Look at the hole. 763 00:45:32,083 --> 00:45:34,803 There was just a general feeling of excitement from the drivers. 764 00:45:34,803 --> 00:45:37,483 They knew they had a-- for the first time in a long time, 765 00:45:37,483 --> 00:45:40,563 potentially, a really good car under them. And you could sense that. 766 00:45:41,443 --> 00:45:42,603 Rubens, Rubens. 767 00:45:42,603 --> 00:45:45,563 Can you believe that you're standing here on the front of the grid? 768 00:45:45,563 --> 00:45:48,003 Well, I mean, I wanted to believe it. 769 00:45:48,003 --> 00:45:49,083 It's a lot of people... 770 00:45:49,083 --> 00:45:52,643 Now that I have the drive, the season is made for me. 771 00:45:52,643 --> 00:45:54,483 I'm gonna win the championship. 772 00:45:54,483 --> 00:45:56,843 Can you tell us what you said to your drivers? 773 00:45:57,363 --> 00:45:59,163 Yeah, just don't hit each other. 774 00:46:00,803 --> 00:46:03,643 I was with Jenson for his first win in 2006, 775 00:46:03,643 --> 00:46:06,123 and you knew at the time how much that meant to him, 776 00:46:06,123 --> 00:46:09,803 and also how painful it was to then not win a race in '07 and '08. 777 00:46:10,603 --> 00:46:12,563 So you knew what a big opportunity this was. 778 00:46:12,563 --> 00:46:16,443 Jenson, well, can you do this? 779 00:46:17,803 --> 00:46:18,883 Yes. 780 00:46:18,883 --> 00:46:22,283 {\an8}I think there's no doubt that it was unfulfilled promise 781 00:46:22,283 --> 00:46:24,923 {\an8}from Jenson Button up to that point. 782 00:46:24,923 --> 00:46:29,043 When you qualify, well, the pressure's on on race day. 783 00:46:30,243 --> 00:46:31,883 But, you know, we'd only done one test, 784 00:46:31,883 --> 00:46:34,803 so our confidence in the reliability of the car and the package, 785 00:46:34,803 --> 00:46:37,643 and our understanding of it, was not perfect. 786 00:46:38,163 --> 00:46:40,483 You know, a race win's a whole different piece of work. 787 00:46:41,603 --> 00:46:43,763 I was really nervous before the race. 788 00:46:45,003 --> 00:46:48,403 And everything went through my mind of the last couple of years 789 00:46:48,403 --> 00:46:49,723 and how tough they'd been. 790 00:46:50,243 --> 00:46:51,923 What we'd been through as a team. 791 00:46:52,563 --> 00:46:56,523 And, suddenly, I'm driving a car that I just feel like I can do nothing wrong. 792 00:46:58,683 --> 00:47:03,443 Up front for the first race of this new season: 793 00:47:03,443 --> 00:47:06,003 Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. 794 00:47:08,123 --> 00:47:12,123 Only one team in their debut race in the history of the sport 795 00:47:12,123 --> 00:47:16,083 have been able to get pole position and then go on to win. 796 00:47:16,763 --> 00:47:19,683 This opportunity doesn't come around for many people, 797 00:47:19,683 --> 00:47:21,003 and I didn't want to throw it away. 798 00:47:37,763 --> 00:47:40,083 We're away in Melbourne for 2009! 799 00:47:40,603 --> 00:47:42,843 Jenson Button streaks forward. Vettel's there as well! 800 00:47:42,843 --> 00:47:44,443 Massa's trying to come through on the outside. 801 00:47:44,443 --> 00:47:46,043 Rosberg's up into third place. 802 00:47:46,043 --> 00:47:48,203 But Button is absolutely streaking clear. 803 00:47:48,203 --> 00:47:51,443 Looked in the mirrors, it just was a mess behind. 804 00:47:51,443 --> 00:47:53,083 And I immediately had a buffer. 805 00:47:54,323 --> 00:47:55,843 You are in P2. 806 00:47:55,843 --> 00:47:57,843 The lights go out. 807 00:47:57,843 --> 00:48:00,243 We're away in Melbourne for 2009! 808 00:48:00,243 --> 00:48:03,323 It's Jenson Button! An awful start there by Rubens Barrichello. 809 00:48:04,403 --> 00:48:05,923 I didn't have a good one. 810 00:48:06,483 --> 00:48:10,323 No, you went into turn one in tenth, and then you're a maniac. 811 00:48:12,283 --> 00:48:13,923 Dreadful start for Rubens Barrichello. 812 00:48:13,923 --> 00:48:15,843 There's all sorts of mayhem at the first corner. 813 00:48:15,843 --> 00:48:18,843 And, suddenly, Ross Brawn has gotta rethink the strategy, 814 00:48:18,843 --> 00:48:20,923 because this is not going at all well. 815 00:48:27,883 --> 00:48:30,723 You know we have a good car. You know you're losing time. 816 00:48:30,723 --> 00:48:34,043 You have the pressure to win the race because you have a good car. 817 00:48:35,083 --> 00:48:38,803 That, sometimes, make you lose focus. 818 00:48:40,803 --> 00:48:42,243 He lost the back of the car, 819 00:48:42,243 --> 00:48:44,883 and he's lost the corner of his front wing. 820 00:48:44,883 --> 00:48:46,603 He just pushed his way through. 821 00:48:46,603 --> 00:48:48,403 I was fighting to be on that podium. 822 00:48:54,963 --> 00:48:57,683 Jenson Button started from pole here in 2006, 823 00:48:57,683 --> 00:48:59,403 but it never really came together. 824 00:48:59,403 --> 00:49:01,643 He finished tenth on that occasion. 825 00:49:02,283 --> 00:49:03,443 But he's doing everything right, 826 00:49:03,443 --> 00:49:06,643 just trading fastest laps with Sebastian Vettel. 827 00:49:11,803 --> 00:49:13,843 You know, I had the team talking to me through the race, 828 00:49:13,843 --> 00:49:17,003 just give me feedback of how the car feels. 829 00:49:18,443 --> 00:49:21,243 Jenson Button has just set the fastest lap of the race. 830 00:49:21,923 --> 00:49:24,723 Is this the hand of Ross Brawn, that master tactician? 831 00:49:25,723 --> 00:49:29,363 We knew, as a team, Jenson had a chance of winning. 832 00:49:30,043 --> 00:49:31,323 Some of the teams were in trouble. 833 00:49:32,043 --> 00:49:34,523 McLaren had got their car completely wrong, 834 00:49:34,523 --> 00:49:35,723 and they looked dreadful. 835 00:49:36,283 --> 00:49:38,083 It was pretty much the same with Ferrari. 836 00:49:41,563 --> 00:49:44,883 I know that any advantage you have in Formula 1 is only temporary. 837 00:49:45,523 --> 00:49:46,963 And you've only got to make one mistake, 838 00:49:46,963 --> 00:49:50,003 and rarely there's enough margin to cope with a mistake. 839 00:49:50,003 --> 00:49:53,083 Barrichello in the pits, and it's a new front nose. 840 00:49:53,603 --> 00:49:57,883 At that stage, we weren't functioning fully as a team. 841 00:49:59,603 --> 00:50:02,563 It's a long stint, this. This is a lot of fuel going in. 842 00:50:05,203 --> 00:50:08,083 We had no time to do pit stop practice. 843 00:50:08,083 --> 00:50:11,883 Our fuel guy had never been a fuel guy before. 844 00:50:11,883 --> 00:50:12,923 No, come on! 845 00:50:19,523 --> 00:50:22,603 Oh, dear. That was not slick and smooth. 846 00:50:23,563 --> 00:50:25,083 I lost six seconds at the first stop 847 00:50:25,083 --> 00:50:27,403 and, I think, seven seconds at the second stop. 848 00:50:28,603 --> 00:50:32,363 The tragedy would be if that robbed us of what we were hoping to achieve. 849 00:50:35,443 --> 00:50:37,683 Well into the last quarter of this race. 850 00:50:37,683 --> 00:50:39,643 Jenson doesn't look like he's got 851 00:50:39,643 --> 00:50:42,843 an awful lot of speed out there at the moment on those tyres. 852 00:50:44,683 --> 00:50:47,483 There was a BMW behind, of Robert Kubica, 853 00:50:47,483 --> 00:50:49,883 and a Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, 854 00:50:49,883 --> 00:50:51,523 and they were quicker. 855 00:50:51,523 --> 00:50:53,043 They were quite a lot quicker. 856 00:50:53,763 --> 00:50:56,323 Button is only one and a half seconds ahead of Vettel. 857 00:50:57,123 --> 00:50:59,883 It's gonna be a real chase to the line here. 858 00:50:59,883 --> 00:51:04,523 It's Button for Brawn, Vettel for Red Bull, Kubica for BMW. 859 00:51:05,883 --> 00:51:09,043 Kubica is on primes. He could be a threat. 860 00:51:09,723 --> 00:51:11,243 I always said to our staff, 861 00:51:11,243 --> 00:51:14,163 "Luck is preparation waiting for an opportunity." 862 00:51:15,483 --> 00:51:17,963 Barrichello and Rosberg, wheel to wheel now, 863 00:51:17,963 --> 00:51:20,123 as they go through on that far side of the track. 864 00:51:20,123 --> 00:51:22,323 Barrichello steams through. 865 00:51:23,003 --> 00:51:26,483 When those opportunities come, if you don't take them, someone else will. 866 00:51:27,363 --> 00:51:29,083 Rubens Barrichello in fourth. 867 00:51:29,083 --> 00:51:32,083 Kubica is third, Vettel second and Button still out in front. 868 00:51:32,083 --> 00:51:35,243 But look at the gap between them. Barely one and a half seconds. 869 00:51:35,763 --> 00:51:38,283 Jenson's got to push like crazy now. 870 00:51:38,963 --> 00:51:41,043 Kubica is flying. 871 00:51:41,963 --> 00:51:44,963 This is the battle which is going to make or break this race. 872 00:51:45,683 --> 00:51:47,483 - There's a problem there. - He's been hit. 873 00:51:47,483 --> 00:51:49,603 There goes Kubica and there goes Vettel. 874 00:51:49,603 --> 00:51:51,043 That's the last thing they needed to do. 875 00:51:53,523 --> 00:51:56,243 Jenson Button will be romping clear now. 876 00:51:57,323 --> 00:52:01,323 Barrichello up into second place for a Brawn 1-2. 877 00:52:05,803 --> 00:52:09,843 Jenson Button crosses the line, takes the chequered flag. 878 00:52:09,843 --> 00:52:11,883 Jenson Button's a winner again. 879 00:52:11,883 --> 00:52:16,643 It's a 1-2 finish. Button from Barrichello. What a result! 880 00:52:31,963 --> 00:52:35,003 I've never had that emotion before, really, with team members. 881 00:52:35,003 --> 00:52:36,403 You know, that connection. 882 00:52:46,523 --> 00:52:50,163 And that moment, it's like, "We bloody did it. 883 00:52:50,923 --> 00:52:54,843 We came here and we beat the giants." 884 00:53:01,163 --> 00:53:05,763 So you come out of this car in Melbourne, the garage is going berserk, right? 885 00:53:05,763 --> 00:53:06,923 Yes, absolutely. 886 00:53:06,923 --> 00:53:10,163 You know, we are presenting ourselves the winner 887 00:53:10,163 --> 00:53:13,043 with a car that almost didn't happen, 888 00:53:13,043 --> 00:53:15,523 so it was something else. 889 00:53:17,483 --> 00:53:19,283 The last garage was the top one now. 890 00:53:20,043 --> 00:53:21,643 Oh, just an absolute fairy tale. 891 00:53:21,643 --> 00:53:23,883 I just can't believe we've actually managed to do it. 892 00:53:25,363 --> 00:53:27,963 Everything that had happened before, 893 00:53:27,963 --> 00:53:31,203 you know, really, kind of, came out into the open. 894 00:53:31,203 --> 00:53:35,283 And Ross was on the pit wall and he was crying. 895 00:53:35,923 --> 00:53:38,843 Everything all our staff have been through, just sensational. 896 00:53:38,843 --> 00:53:40,923 And, uh, I can't really put it into words. 897 00:53:41,443 --> 00:53:43,363 For the big man to show that much emotion, 898 00:53:44,083 --> 00:53:45,363 you know we've done something good. 899 00:53:45,363 --> 00:53:47,243 Cars are coming down. 900 00:53:48,483 --> 00:53:50,123 People are losing their minds. 901 00:53:52,563 --> 00:53:54,123 - You're getting claps, right? - Hmm. 902 00:53:55,883 --> 00:53:57,043 It was beautiful, really, 903 00:53:57,043 --> 00:53:59,443 'cause all the people in the pit lane knew what we'd been through. 904 00:53:59,443 --> 00:54:02,563 The tension and pressure that we'd had for so long. 905 00:54:04,163 --> 00:54:07,403 They would've been sharing that joy that we had that day, 906 00:54:07,403 --> 00:54:09,083 'cause it was a joy for Formula 1. 907 00:54:11,643 --> 00:54:13,963 Just one of the best moments of my career. 908 00:54:15,723 --> 00:54:18,203 I mean, that was magical. Just magical. 909 00:54:19,763 --> 00:54:22,003 It was about everything that had gone before it. 910 00:54:22,003 --> 00:54:23,763 It was about all the hard work. 911 00:54:25,203 --> 00:54:28,363 You know, I believed our team was working harder than any other, 912 00:54:29,683 --> 00:54:31,563 because we were fighting for survival. 913 00:54:38,123 --> 00:54:39,843 - They won the race! - Yes. 914 00:54:39,843 --> 00:54:42,163 They come to Australia and they win. 915 00:54:42,163 --> 00:54:45,403 - Yes. - On the track, the cars are driving in. 916 00:54:45,403 --> 00:54:48,643 Other teams, they're, like, clapping. 917 00:54:48,643 --> 00:54:50,283 - Yes, but... - The team itself is, like, 918 00:54:50,283 --> 00:54:52,523 they're crying. They're so happy. 919 00:54:52,523 --> 00:54:54,203 - Yeah, but... - They did the impossible. 920 00:54:54,203 --> 00:54:56,763 They put the Mercedes engine in the car. 921 00:54:56,763 --> 00:54:58,403 They have the double diffuser... 922 00:54:58,403 --> 00:55:04,043 You are making a list, and I answer to you, they went too far. 923 00:55:04,043 --> 00:55:06,203 Suddenly, you know, 924 00:55:06,203 --> 00:55:09,963 this team that everybody just wanted to survive, is killing us. 925 00:55:10,683 --> 00:55:13,483 I mean, there was all this goodwill towards Brawn GP, 926 00:55:13,483 --> 00:55:17,803 and everybody did their bit to help them survive. 927 00:55:17,803 --> 00:55:23,323 Then Ross, he's got this outlook of the big bear, this big cuddly guy that, 928 00:55:23,323 --> 00:55:27,323 you know, would never dream of doing anything questionable in any way. 929 00:55:29,003 --> 00:55:33,323 Yet really, behind the scenes, he's the most cut-throat, 930 00:55:33,323 --> 00:55:39,923 ruthless competitor probably that we've ever come across. 931 00:55:39,923 --> 00:55:43,923 You know, he would sell his grandmother to get what he wanted. 932 00:55:46,403 --> 00:55:49,203 We put in a protest because we wanted to clarify 933 00:55:49,203 --> 00:55:52,523 what the FIA's, you know, position is, 934 00:55:52,523 --> 00:55:56,123 because the whole new concept of these regulations 935 00:55:56,123 --> 00:56:00,603 is undermined by a double-decker, you know, rear diffuser. 936 00:56:01,803 --> 00:56:03,363 Are the knives out yet or are they-- 937 00:56:03,363 --> 00:56:05,923 - The knives are sharpened. 938 00:56:05,923 --> 00:56:09,723 And the best way to become unpopular very quickly is to start winning. 939 00:56:11,043 --> 00:56:12,763 I mean, we are now in a different phase. 940 00:56:12,763 --> 00:56:15,803 So we've gone past the phase of helping us survive. 941 00:56:15,803 --> 00:56:18,763 We are now in the phase where we don't want to be beaten by these people. 942 00:56:18,763 --> 00:56:21,363 "Great to see you here, but don't embarrass us." 943 00:56:21,363 --> 00:56:24,323 In 2009, was more evident. 944 00:56:24,323 --> 00:56:26,283 Since the first race, 945 00:56:26,283 --> 00:56:30,323 a big gap between this car with the Mercedes engine, 946 00:56:30,323 --> 00:56:33,523 this car without a long tradition, 947 00:56:33,523 --> 00:56:37,683 with a team manager that has never been a team manager before, 948 00:56:38,363 --> 00:56:39,923 immediately competitive. 949 00:56:39,923 --> 00:56:44,563 All of us, all the teams, were aware there was something against the rules. 950 00:56:46,083 --> 00:56:48,443 So, the FIA said the car is fine. 951 00:56:48,443 --> 00:56:49,363 Yes. 952 00:56:49,363 --> 00:56:52,323 And everybody else was saying they're cheating? 953 00:56:53,963 --> 00:56:54,963 Yes.