Ross Brawn should be firing on all cylinders as he returns to the pitwall in Monaco this weekend. Mercedes' team principal sat out the recent Spanish grand prix due to illness, but a scarcity of extra information triggered speculation.
One rumour was that he is seriously ill, whilst another was that his absence may in fact be due to his German employer's high-stakes spat with Bernie Ecclestone. The latter theory gained traction since Barcelona, with acting team boss Nick Fry taking a much higher than usual profile, including naming Paul di Resta as a possible 2013 successor for Michael Schumacher.
Explaining his absence, Brawn told Bild newspaper: "On the Tuesday before Barcelona I felt unwell so I went to the doctor and then stayed a night in hospital for some tests. When I got home, I decided on the advice of doctors to give myself a weekend off, to be sure that I am fit for Monaco," the Briton said.
Partly because of Brawn's deputy Fry's recent comments, and also due to his paltry points tally and his crash with Bruno Senna, rumours about Schumacher's future have intensified since Spain. "A lot has been said and written," acknowledged Brawn, "but we should not forget that we - the team - have let him down in three of the fives races, not delivering the job we should have."
"We must do better," Brawn, who worked closely with Schumacher during the seven time world champion's ultra successful Ferrari era, added. "We saw Michael's real quality again in the first race, so it's for that reason that I believe we will see him on the podium this year."
As for a possible contract extension for the 43-year-old, Brawn insisted: "When the time comes, we will sit down together and talk about the future. I'm sure it will become clear very quickly in what direction we will go." (GMM)
Brawn returns to paddock, praising Michael Schumacher
- Published on 23 May 2012 10:36
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
What Verstappen really said about his Red Bull futureMax Verstappen has acknowledged his Red Bull contract extension through 2030 comes with a sobering reality: the next ...
28 Aug 2026 16:54 -
Racing Bulls join the macarena wing race with Imola testRacing Bulls are testing their own variant of the rotating rear wing design at Imola during a filmday on Tuesday, acc...
28 Aug 2026 15:51 -
Nico Rosberg issues stark warning to former team MercedesNico Rosberg has warned Mercedes that McLaren has become Formula 1's team to beat, delivering a stark assessment ...
28 Aug 2026 14:50 -
Why Alonso credited himself after Zandvoort chargeFernando Alonso delivered a blunt self-assessment after driving from 18th on the grid to ninth at the Dutch Grand Pri...
28 Aug 2026 13:48 -
Why Max Verstappen's 2030 Red Bull contract might not be finalMax Verstappen's new Red Bull contract through 2030 may not be the career-defining commitment it appears, accordi...
28 Aug 2026 12:47
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 511,483 comments on Ferrari
284 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Ferrari
Replies (0)
Login to reply