Brawn doesn't remember 'the last time with so many mechanical problems'

One of the highlights of the first race of the 2020 World Championship last weekend in Austria will remain the number of retirements due to mechanical problems.

Brakes at Haas, electrical problems on Honda Power Units at Red Bull, sensor problems at Racing Point, cooling for Renault … Few were spared and even the victors Mercedes have seen their share of avatars with recalcitrant gearbox sensors when subjected to vibrations.

A combination that surprised the highest level of Liberty Media. “We are used to cars from Formula 1 are bulletproof, but there was a surprising lack of reliability in Sunday's race, with only 11 of the 20 drivers seeing the checkered flag, indicated Ross Brawn, Director Motor Sports of F1.

I can't remember the last time we saw so many mechanical issues in one race. Some of it, of course, is because teams haven't really used their cars since preseason testing in February.

We also saw a number of pit stop issues, which showed the teams were a little rusty after a long break from racing. But the positive is that we saw some great battles, some were a little more on the limit than what was allowed, but overall a great competition. »

The sequence of the two races in Austria, the second being scheduled for this weekend at the Red Bull Ring, will also be double-edged, with the possibility of making up for the teams in difficulty, but with timing to resolve certain problems we can't be any tighter.

Discover the full report and analysis of the Austrian Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondent in Spielberg, in issue 2268 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version, and on newsstands tomorrow.