Brawn could be sensation of the F1 season

The new Brawn GP team will be the revelation of the Formula One season if the heirs to Honda are as fast on their race debut in Melbourne as they have been in testing.

Staring into the abyss only weeks ago, with the Japanese carmaker pulling out in December and no serious buyers in sight other than the existing management, Brawn are suddenly looking like the team to beat.

"I think their lap time is just much quicker than everybody else can do," said Ferrari's Felipe Massa, the Brazilian who missed out on the title by a single point last year and whose own car has looked pretty quick. "They are really surprising."

Led by new owner Ross Brawn, the Briton hailed as the tactical brains behind Michael Schumacher's record seven world championships at Benetton and Ferrari, the Mercedes-powered team made their test debut last week.

The immediate effect was stunning, with some wondering whether they were really that quick or just running light to impress potential sponsors.

With the car lapping as if on rails, and quick and reliable straight out of the box, British driver Jenson Button and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello were fastest on two of the four days in Barcelona.

They also started this week with the fastest time in Jerez.

Previously dismissed as has-beens and also-rans, the hugely-experienced drivers head for Australia and next week's season-opener as pace-setters and potential winners.

"All I can say is that I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Barrichello, who spent years as Schumacher's sidekick at Ferrari, told the official formula1.com website.

"It is a good car, it is a good engine, it is a good group and I think we will be the surprise of the year," added the 36-year-old.

RESCUE SAGA

There has been a buzz around the testing paddock and a rare sense of anticipation that the pecking order could be shaken up.

Individuals such as Lewis Hamilton in 2007, Jacques Villeneuve in 1996 and Mario Andretti in 1968 have made astonishing debuts before but teams usually take time to bed in.

Big-spending Toyota, who arrived in 2002, have yet to win a race while BMW-Sauber took their first only last year.

Honda, who bought out BAR in 2006, were Formula One's most under-performing team last year with just 14 points and Button providing only three of them.

Their engine was under-powered, at least 60hp less than McLaren's Mercedes unit according to team insiders, and Honda spent an estimated $300 million in 2008 alone.

The credit crunch, and the battering that all car manufacturers have taken, led to Honda's withdrawal.

Brawn may represent the future of the sport, a more efficient independent team with its sole focus on racing and more nimble in response to the challenges on the track. The ethos is already noticeably different.

"When it's a big corporation it's fantastic for sure because you have big resources but being in a private team is like being in a big family," Button, who made his debut with Williams in 2000, told reporters in Barcelona. "That's going to help us I feel.

"Every morning when I wake up I'm so excited about getting in the car and moving forward. This is something I haven't experienced much probably in my career," added the Briton.

NEW FACES

Brawn are benefiting from the legacy of Honda's massive investment, with the Japanese manufacturer starting work on the new car more than a year ago.

Honda wrote off 2008 very early on when it became apparent that their car was uncompetitive and focused on catching up with the radically-revised regulations for 2009.

"The truth is that they have a car that Honda began working on in 2007, to use in 2009," said Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso. "You can see that in its design because it is a very detailed car with a different look to the others."

Brawn are not the only newcomers on the track, although there has been little fresh blood in a season where significant rule changes put a premium on experience.

Super Aguri folded last April, leaving Japan's Takuma Sato and Britain's Anthony Davidson out of a job, but Scot David Coulthard is the only driver to have left since November's Brazilian season-ender.

Toro Rosso's Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi is the sole rookie, and youngest man on the starting grid, replacing race-winning German Sebastian Vettel who has moved to Red Bull.

With testing banned during the season, Buemi faces a difficult year but will at least be on a par with the other drivers when it comes to the season's finale in Abu Dhabi.

The Gulf state makes its debut on the calendar with the glittering, no-expense-spared Yas Marina circuit as the Middle East's second race after Bahrain.