Ferrari needs 'quiet approach' amid crisis - Brawn

Jul.20 (GMM) Ross Brawn has urged Ferrari to take a "quiet approach" to its quest for the world championship.

The Maranello marque has not won a drivers' title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, despite new president Sergio Marchionne having predicted spoils this year.

But the Italian media thinks Ferrari is back in 'crisis', reporting strong rumours that James Allison is on the verge of stepping down as technical boss.

Brawn, Ferrari's now retired former technical director, has played down claims he is looking for a way back into F1, saying he has no desire for another "24-7" role.

Actually, he thinks the Maranello team should stick with Allison.

"They've got some very good people there," Brawn told Britain's Sky recently. "James Allison is excellent and if they give him the resources and give him the time, and put the infrastructure around him and great drivers, then they'll achieve success.

"But they mustn't overreact and they mustn't be reactive to what the media is saying," he insisted.

Indeed, Brawn said the great strength of the ultra-successful Michael Schumacher era is that he and Jean Todt were fiercely guarded by then president Luca di Montezemolo.

Brawn thinks Ferrari once again needs a "quiet approach".

"It's very easy to wind up the whole system and then it starts to get reactive rather than proper planning, proper organisation," he said.

"It's important that Ferrari still respect what they have to do but they do it progressively and they do it quietly."

Brawn also backed top driver Sebastian Vettel's current approach, which he says reminds him of how Schumacher operated at Ferrari.

"It would be disastrous if Seb started to criticise the team externally," he said.

"I'm sure if he's anything like Michael he's very strong internally. He's defending the team, he's not being openly critical, he's not winding things up so I think he's taking the right approach," Brawn added.