---
title: "Brawn: Small teams keep F1 healthy"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2017/01/09/brawn-small-teams-keep-f1-healthy/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Bethonie Waring"
section: "F1 News"
published: "2017-01-09T19:00:56Z"
modified: "2017-01-09T19:00:56Z"
---

# Brawn: Small teams keep F1 healthy

Making Formula One more viable for small teams is essential for a healthy sport, according to Ross Brawn.

With Manor facing administration and the two other teams that joined F1 back in 2010 already out of the sport, Brawn thinks reducing the margin between the small teams and the big teams should be a priority for those in charge.

“One of the objectives should be looking at what can be done to reduce the margin between a small team and a big team,” Brawn told [ESPN](https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/18436040/ross-brawn-says-f1-viable-smaller-teams). “And can things be done to reduce the performance gain that comes from the level of investments the big teams make.

“How can you level that? I think it’s an interesting reference point for F1 to make small teams viable and make them reasonably competitive so they can pull the odd result out of the bag – it makes it exciting.”

Brawn also believes the dependence of small teams on the backing from drivers is also having a negative impact on F1 as a whole. Small teams have the potential to be the perfect place to develop young talent, as shown by Mercedes putting drivers on their young driver programme in back marker teams. But the dependency on financially backed drivers is stopping that flow of talent.

![Clive Mason/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/01/622413672.jpg)

“I think it’s a worthwhile objective to make sure the model for a small team is viable,” Brawn said. “It can be economically viable and it can be a good environment for young drivers to come into the sport without having millions of pounds behind them. If we can create that then you get a much healthier flow of young drivers because it is a meritocracy based on their talent and not their commercial backing.

“Small teams depend so much on commercial backing for their drivers that it influences the decisions they have to make on their drivers. I think that’s another element of a healthy Formula One, to make the small teams viable.”

Brawn didn’t go as far as to develop how he would go about making a more level playing field. One thing he wouldn’t do is get rid of the controversial “historical payment” that Ferrari receives. The payment; made no matter where the team finishes in the championship, gives Ferrari even more of an advantage over smaller teams.

“They make a lot of effort to get that money. It’s not given to them without effort,” Brawn said. “Ferrari has been the longest supporter of Formula One and have the longest history. I think everyone would recognise they have the biggest brand in Formula One. They are the most recognised team in Formula One and they are important to the whole image and circus of F1, so naturally they benefit from that position they hold. It might be galling to some people, but that’s the reality.”