Brawn vows to end culture of secrecy in F1 for the benefit of the fans

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New F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn wants F1 teams to divulge their secret data in order to enhance F1 fans' experience and engagement.

We all know the culture of secrecy and concealment that permeates through Formula 1, from safe-guarding proprietary data and strategies to shielding a team's workspace in its garage from curious eyes.

But Ross Brawn believes F1 fans' experience could be greatly improved if the veil was lifted on part of the team's concealed information, like fuel loads, tyre wear, engine settings and more, and divulged and delivered through an app.

According to the Times newspaper, fans in the grandstands would also be able to access the information thanks to free and fast wifi.

"That's definitely coming. It's being worked on," said Brawn.

The next step after that will be convincing the teams to release their secret data in the best interests of the sport.

"If we cross that (secrecy) barrier, to make all that information available, I think the large chunk of enthusiasts would really enjoy seeing all that, both live and retrospectively," added Brawn.

"We know they need to beat each other but can we cross that barrier and say what we want is a much bigger business and, if we all (do it), nobody is going to be disadvantaged or advantaged."

Indeed, he said teams once went to great lengths to encrypt radio transmissions, but now those transmissions are routinely listened to by fans on the TV.

"There was just a change of mindset -- that everybody's radio is going to be free," said Brawn.

And he thinks that if the secrecy barrier is eventually broken in F1, it could be stepped up to the point that moves the teams closer together in competitiveness.

"Someone told me the other day that (in Nascar) at a certain stage of the season you can go and look at someone else's car and strip it apart and see what's in it.

"And that's their way of keeping everyone loosely competitive. And no one objects, no one has a problem.

"It's a philosophy that should be thought about," said Brawn.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.