Ross Brawn has stressed that Formula 1 will not witness a repeat of its 1992 season, in the wake of Mercedes enjoying the best start to a year since Williams’ dominant campaign.
Williams began the 1992 season with three straight 1-2 finishes, with Nigel Mansell taking five wins in a row, and he eventually clinched the title in Hungary in August, five rounds early.
Mercedes matched Williams by taking three 1-2s to open the 2019 campaign, and has already established a comfortable buffer in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings.
But Brawn believes the threat posed by Ferrari – which locked out the front-row of the grid in Bahrain – and Red Bull means that Mercedes will be pushed for this year’s title.
“Despite the statistics being racked up by Mercedes, I don't believe that 2019 will follow the same script as ’92,” said Brawn.
“The three consecutive 1-2 finishes scored by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are definitely down to a team that is operating to perfection at the moment, with a top-notch technical package, but it’s also fair to say it is up against stronger opposition than was Williams back in ’92.
“In Bahrain Ferrari dominated qualifying and save for the technical woes that derailed their efforts in the race, the team were heading for an emphatic victory with Charles Leclerc.
“In China however, the performance pendulum swung towards Mercedes, as was the case in Melbourne.
“Red Bull, especially in the case of Max Verstappen, are ready to pounce, proving that this year’s switch to Honda is so far beginning to show results.”
Brawn nonetheless praised Mercedes for the high platform on which it has operated this season.
“Mercedes can still draw strength from the fact it has been the dominant force over the past few years, as can be seen by the way it fought back last year when it seemed that Ferrari had pretty much caught up in performance terms,” he said.
“Of course I have nothing against Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and the many friends I still have in that team, but I hope that 2019 won't be a repeat of 1992.
“Whatever the outcome, I hope that the championship fight will be truly spectacular, as befits this sport.”
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