– In 2006, Jenson Button believed he was on course for further success with Honda. The first Honda victory in several decades and Button’s first Formula 1 triumph gave cause for hope. But instead of an improvement the following year, there was great disappointment: “We had high expectations, but 2007 was simply a disaster,” Button said in retrospect on the Formula 1 podcast “Beyond The Grid”.
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The bitter part from Honda’s perspective: the RA107 for 2007 flopped in every respect. “It was really like that,” said Button. “Super Aguri competed with our previous year’s car – and was faster than us [with the new car]. We didn’t even manage to score points anymore.”
Here Button’s memory is mistaken: in 2007 he achieved a total of three points finishes. He finished eighth in France and Italy respectively and even achieved fifth place at the penultimate race in China. This gave Button six World Championship points. Since his Honda teammate Rubens Barrichello did not contribute any further points, that was the total.
Two teams performed even worse than Honda in 2007: Spyker scored only one point and Super Aguri only four points. Due to the disqualification against McLaren, Honda finished the season in eighth place in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship. Button called it a “tough year” for the team from Brackley in England.
How Ross Brawn initiated the turnaround
At this point, Ross Brawn came into play. The long-time Technical Director of Ferrari and close confidant of record champion Michael Schumacher moved to Honda. For the staff, he seemed like a savior. Button said: “When he joined us at the end of 2007, it became clear to us: now something will change.”
Photo series: Ross Brawn’s Formula 1 career
According to Button, a jolt went through the team from the very first moment. “His presence alone was enough at first. It was enough that he entered the room.”
“I remember exactly: it was like a company meeting. The entire staff was gathered in one room, and no one really knew that Ross would come – until it was announced.”
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“He walked down the center aisle to the front, and there he stood – our savior. The man who was supposed to lead Honda out of this catastrophic year 2007.”
How Ross Brawn reshaped the Honda team
Brawn convinced at Honda above all with leadership strength, said Button. “He knew how a team had to work together. Ross ended internal blame games and gave the employees more freedom.”
“He even encouraged them to sometimes bring in unconventional ideas. Sometimes such ideas don’t work, but without risks, you never get back to the top,” Button explained.
“Under Ross, there was therefore a really strong atmosphere. You could feel how the mood changed. And the team needed such a fresh start after the crash in the 2007 season.”
In 2009, Brawn suddenly becomes number one
In fact, things were already looking up in 2008: Button finished sixth in Spain, Barrichello sixth in Monaco and seventh in Canada. At the rain race in Silverstone, he secured Honda’s first podium since 2006. That gave the team 14 World Championship points.
But even more decisive was: technically, the team laid the foundation in the 2008 season for the successes under the new Formula 1 regulations in 2009. But it almost didn’t happen: Honda surprisingly withdrew from Formula 1 in the winter of 2008/2009. Brawn took over the team and sensationally led it to both world championship titles in 2009. (Video: The Brawn miracle 2009)
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