| Brawn Grand Prix is a Formula One team based in | | | | sport was championing green technology. |
| Brackley in south Northamptonshire, England which | | | | On the 6th March 2009 the Honda Motor |
| was formed out of the ashes of the Honda | | | | Company and the former Honda Racing F1 Team |
| Racing F1 team in 6th March 2009. In December | | | | management announced that the team had been |
| 2008 Honda revealed that they were going to pull | | | | saved buy a management buyout from technical |
| the plug on their Formula One team in an attempt | | | | director Ross Brawn and the new team Brawn |
| to save the Honda company money during the | | | | GP was born. The team went on to test its car |
| worsening global financial downturn. | | | | for the first time in an official test at Circuit de |
| | | | | Cataluña, Barcelona in March where they were |
| This left one of the best funded and best | | | | they performed very well, setting an unofficial lap |
| equipped Formula One teams in the field in limbo | | | | record in the process. The team was accused of |
| while the management team attempted to find a | | | | running the car underweight in an attempt to |
| buyer for the team and save 700 plus | | | | attract sponsors to help fund the fledgling team |
| worker’s jobs at the teams Brackley HQ. | | | | however these claims were denied by the team. |
| Between December 2008 and February 2009 a | | | | Others accused the team along with rivals Williams |
| number of possible buyers’ names were | | | | and Toyota of having an illegal rear diffuser under |
| being thrown about by the media and team boss | | | | the new 2009 regulations, claims which were also |
| Nick Fry claimed the management was negotiating | | | | denied by all three teams. Whatever accusations |
| with a dozen possible buyers. The media reported | | | | were thrown at the team, nobody could deny |
| that the team was close to being saved a | | | | that it looks like Brawn GP had a very |
| number of times by parties including Prodrive, | | | | competitive car that could turn out to be one of |
| Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and a | | | | the fastest come the season opening race in |
| ‘consortium of Brazilian investors’ | | | | Australia. |
| however none of these came to fruition and it | | | | Roll on the last weekend in March and it was time |
| was soon looking likely that the only realistic | | | | for the start of the 2009 Formula One season, |
| option was a management buyout. | | | | throughout the weekend Brawn GP showed that |
| In Feburary 2009 it came to light that the Honda | | | | it’s pace in pre-season testing was no bluff |
| management were in negotiations with Richard | | | | and in-fact they had one of the best cars on the |
| Branson’s Virgin Group and they looked set | | | | grid. They proved this by first locking out the |
| to buy the team however speculation ended | | | | front row in qualifying and then going on to |
| when Richard Branson revealed he was interested | | | | secure a historic 1-2 finish in the race, which was |
| in F1 but only once certain conditions were met, | | | | only the third time in history that a brand new |
| mainly that costs were reduced and that the | | | | team had managed it. |