Winner: Brawn BGP 001

Thanks to some faultless decision-making by Ross Brawn and his designers, the development program for what became the Brawn BGP 001 correctly focused on aerodynamic performance rather than KERS. Throughout the winter, when the future of the former Honda team was in doubt, the team's designers already knew that the car they were developing had the potential to be a race winner. Just how good the original design was, was illustrated by the fact that even after the rear end had been reworked at very short notice to accommodate the Mercedes-Benz engine, resulting in less-than-ideal weight distribution and compromised gearbox packaging, the car was still clearly faster than any other for the first half-dozen races of 2009, and was on pole as late as the penultimate race in.

Next year's car won't be subject to the same compromises, so could be even faster! "Brawn brought a new F1 car into a new F1 era that hit the mark out of the box," recognized Awards judge Mark Raffauf, managing director of competition, Grand-Am. "This is an extraordinary accomplishment that rarely happens in the top levels of motorsport. Though others caught up as time went on, Brawn maintained a leadership position throughout the season."

Winner: Brawn BGP 001

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Winner: F1 Marshalling System - EM Motorsport

The F1 Marshalling System developed by EM Motorsport for use by the FIA is now included in the F1 technical regulations. The system, run from race control, communicates directly with every car on circuit, including safety and medical cars, in addition to the 20 electronic marshalling light panels at every circuit.

“We are very pleased with the EM Motorsport F1 Marshalling System (F1MS) which we have used at all Formula 1 races since the beginning of 2007,” commented Charlie Whiting, the FIA’s Formula 1 race director. “The FIA funded the original development of the system and has since helped EM Motorsport refine the specification to fully achieve the original goals. The FIA has always been committed to increasing safety in motorsport and the F1MS has provided us with an incredibly useful tool to enhance awareness of what’s happening on the track at all times. This has had several tangible benefits and further enhancements to the system, namely the Electronic Flags and the Safety Car panels, have provided additional safety for drivers.”

EM Motorsport is now developing a version for use outside of F1 events under the name of Circuit Marshalling System, designed for simple and permanent installation at any race circuit.

“Effective management of on-track activities and the ability to provide substantially better information to both participants and officials in real time are significant steps forward for the sport both in safety and in the quality of entertainment,” commented jury member Mark Raffauf. “These developments will help pave the way to more uniformity and consistency in all aspects of track operations everywhere.”

“How many times have we heard, ‘I didn't see the flags’?” observed fellow judge Gary Anderson. “Well, those days are now long gone.”

Winner: F1 Marshalling System - EM Motorsport

Winner: Autodromo do Algarve

This new 4.7km-long Portuguese track hosted F1 tests from McLaren, Williams, Red Bull, BMW Sauber and Ferrari last winter. The venue also proved popular with test teams from F1 and competitors from FIA GT, GP2 and the Le Mans Series (LMS), all of which raced there in 2009. An interesting feature of the facility near Portimao is the Inis Motorsport-supplied wireless warning lights system, installed at 27 flag posts around the circuit, which enabled the LMS to begin a six-hour race by daylight and finish in darkness, with no safety car deployment at all. Awards jury member and freelance motorsport writer David Tremayne was impressed: “The Autodromo do Algarve proves that new racetracks can be exciting and dramatic in their layout while embracing all of the latest technology to create venues that further the cause of the sport within Europe.”

Gary Anderson, a former F1 technical director and now an expert analyst for Setanta Ireland, added: “The Algarve facility is one of the best-designed new-style racetracks. With its changing topography and demanding corner layout it offers extreme challenges to both the driver and the engineer: make a car go quickly around this track and you are set up for the season.”

Winner: Autodromo do Algarve

Winner: ALMS and F1 KERS – Zytek Automotive

Zytek has been working with Mercedes High Performance Engines since 2007 to develop the motor and power electronics for a hybrid drive system for Formula 1, addressing substantial challenges that include designing subsystems that will withstand the harsh thermal and mechanical environment of one of the world's most demanding race series, that are exceptionally light, and which can be integrated within a system that does not affect the aerodynamics or handling of the car. Validation of this intensive development came when Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix on in July 2009, driving a McLaren fitted with the Mercedes HPE system.

This success was mirrored in the ALMS series, for which Zytek has developed a hybrid drive system in partnership with Continental (which supplies the lithium battery pack), when Corsa Motorsports made the podium at Lime Rock (USA) with its Ginetta-Zytek GZ09HS LMP1 car.

“Turning the concept of kinetic energy recovery into a race-winning reality was a major breakthrough and Zytek made a vital contribution to this achievement,” observed Awards judge and freelance motorsport technology writer Charles Armstrong-Wilson.

Chairman of the judging panel and editor of Professional Motorsport World magazine Graham Heeps agreed: “It’s too early to know to what extent KERS will be adopted across other forms of motorsport, but the pioneering work of companies like Zytek – which also has a strong pedigree in road-car hybrid technology – will be of benefit to everyone who follows behind.”

Winner: ALMS and F1 KERS – Zytek Automotive

Winner: DigiTyre IR – BERU f1systems

The winning system is an evolution of BERU f1systems’ well-established DigiTyre TPMS, with the groundbreaking addition of an infrared element in the wheel sensor. This looks at the inside of the tire’s carcass and is able to accurately measure its temperature, which is a boon for understanding tire behavior and its impact on the car’s vehicle dynamics. The jury was impressed by this innovative design. As Awards judge Charles Armstrong-Wilson noted, “Every single system on a racing car is there for one reason: to get the most out of the tire. Any technology that helps engineers better understand these crucial components is a powerful tool, and this is what BERU f1systems has delivered.”

Meanwhile fellow judge and race-car vehicle dynamicist Jonas Jarlmark commented: “This development pinpoints one of the key issues of vehicle dynamics – tire carcass behavior. Using this system, the measurement response time to the inputs from the driver and track to the tire forces is shorter, and as a result the analysis of the data becomes more accurate and reliable.”

On receiving the Award, BERU f1systems’ managing director John Bailey said: “The PMW Expo Testing Technology of the Year Award is highly respected in our industry. For us to receive the recognition from such a prestigious judging panel is an extremely proud moment for everybody involved in the program.”

Winner: DigiTyre IR – BERU f1systems

Winner: Ross Brawn – Brawn GP

Ross Brawn has a track record of overseeing the development of championship-winning race cars, whether with Jaguar in sportscars or with Benetton, Ferrari and now Brawn in F1. The aerodynamic regulations were completely rewritten for 2009; it was perhaps no surprise that the technical teams led by two of the most experienced design engineers in F1 – Brawn himself and Adrian Newey at Red Bull – made the best job of adapting to them. In Brawn’s case, the achievement was all the more remarkable because in difficult circumstances he gave a technical staff that had produced poorly performing cars for the two previous years the necessary guidance and confidence to design the best car in F1.

For the jury, Brawn was the clear choice to receive the Award: “If your car is unbeatable right off the drawing board, it shows that you made the theoretical compromises and found the possible holes in the regulations better than anyone else,” said judge Jonas Jarlmark, technical director at STCC squad, Team biogas.se and a race engineer for SEAT Sport. “Many of these decisions are made by the senior design engineer, even if the car’s development is very much a team effort. Making the right decisions and making the team work during very uncertain financial circumstances was a big achievement by Ross Brawn, but at season opening, it almost looked as if Brawn had had a year’s head start on the car’s development!”

Winner: Ross Brawn – Brawn GP

Winner: Ross Brawn – Brawn GP

For the first time at the PMW Expo Awards, the same person has won in the Team Principal category as well as being named Design Engineer of the Year. But it’s no surprise, given that Ross Brawn has shown the same professionalism and flair in running his own team as he has demonstrated for years in the technical field. After Honda’s decision to pull out of Formula 1 in December 2008, Brawn was faced with the unenviable task of keeping the team's morale up, and the design of what proved to be a championship-winning car on track, while at the same time securing the company’s future. Once the racing started, his ability as a race strategist, so familiar from his days at Ferrari, contributed to securing multiple race wins for both his drivers.

The Awards judges lined up to sing his praises: “He met tactical and strategic objectives in securing Honda as an investor on the one hand, and in the focused use of technical resources to take best advantage of the regulations on the other,” noted Wolfgang Sievernich, editor of motorsport-guide.

“As a person, as an experienced engineer and, of course, for his job in rescuing the ex-Honda team, he and his vision have earned my highest respect,” added Roland Schedel, editor-in-chief of ATZ Auto Technology.

And according to Alan Wilson, CEO of Wilson Sahara Inc and himself a former PMW Award winner: “This award reflects Ross Brawn’s leadership, which overcame immense obstacles and then maintained its composure while under immense pressure from its competition. Moreover, 2009 serves to reinforce the brilliance of his roles at Benetton and Ferrari that together establish him as one of the all time greats of Formula 1.”

Winner: Ross Brawn – Brawn GP