Brawn gamble pays off handsomely

MELBOURNE: While others were slashing costs and even pulling out of Formula One, Ross Brawn bucked the trend and his gamble paid off handsomely yesterday when his cars finished 1-2 in their maiden race.

The 54-year-old Briton, a former machinist born in Manchester, completed a 100 percent buy-out of Honda F1 earlier this month just in time to get his cars on the grid for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The rookie team, powered by Mercedes engines, performed well in pre-season testing but few could have predicted such a sensational start for Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, who finished first and second respectively here.

It marked the first time since 1977 that a team won a Grand Prix in its debut race, and the first time since 1954 that a team finished 1-2 in its maiden effort.