Sunday’s race featured plenty of action across the field, including a thrilling battle up front as Max Verstappen made a series of ultimately unsuccessful attempts to take the lead from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc before running problems brakes do not roll it back.

Reflecting on the dawn of the new era of F1, Brawn warned that Sakhir was just the first event with the new cars, and stressed that the FIA ​​would now do a proper analysis to see exactly how the follow-up and overtaking have been improved by the new aerodynamic package.

“It’s a sample-based one, so let’s not rush it,” said Brawn, when asked by Motorsport.com if the regulations had achieved the desired goals. “But we didn’t see anything negative today, which is a good thing.

“I think now, once the drivers have debriefed and the FIA ​​starts looking at all the data, we can see how we have been able to evolve.

“But the old cars were awful, so we were able to take that step. I think we showed that the racing ability of the car has to be an important consideration going forward.

“It’s not just a solution, and we’re going to stop. We have to continue this process and we have to continue to work and understand how we make great racing cars and continue development in that direction.”

Engineers who helped design the new package on behalf of the F1 organization have now joined the FIA’s technical department. This means that they now have direct access to team data which can be properly analyzed.

“I think we’re going to digest all the data and all the information and we’ll get the feedback from the teams and the drivers,” Brawn said.

“I’ve always said it’s a process and it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, so we have to continue the process.

“The team that designed this car has now joined the FIA ​​so the team has legitimate access to all the car data. They can look at all the car data and see what needs to be improved and how we are doing. forward.”

“If we can maintain this process and if we can add racing capability to new car priorities in the future, then I think it is definitely the right decision.

Brawn isn’t concerned about the wide spread on the pitch, with the top teams still having their traditional clear advantage.

“Obviously the new regulations, it seems to me that two or three teams didn’t get it right. But it wasn’t that bad. As always, if we can get two or three teams up front, a strong midfield , so I think we should be happy. And if those cars can race, that’s the main thing.

“You can’t forget the impact that the cost cap is going to have, because no one right now will be able to put an extra $100 million into their program to fix their problems.

“So it’s going to have a flatter rate of development, so nobody’s going to step down. I think a lot of things have come together so we can expect to have a great year.”

Mohammed bin Sulayem, President, FIA, Stefano Domenicali, President, Formula 1

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said a mix of tire strategies added to the spectacle in Bahrain.

“First of all, we must not underestimate the work done by Pirelli, because as you know the tires have been in the spotlight,” said the Italian.

“I think a different typology that gave another element to the show with different pit stop strategies, some did it well, some did it badly, that’s part of the game, and that’s is great.

“On the other hand, we saw so many overtakes that I couldn’t count, which creates something for the public.

“As Ross said, we have to take it step by step, but the early signals are very encouraging. We need to make sure everyone involved is doing the right job.

“The other thing I can say from what we saw is that there was a great fight on the track, and it was okay from all the drivers. good sign for the first race, and let’s hope it continues for the next one.”

Domenicali also made it clear that Ferrari’s first success would be a big boost for next month’s Emilia-Romagna GP.

“There’s no doubt seeing Ferrari being competitive is very good for everyone, so I’m sure it will have an impact on how many tickets the promoter sells, and I’m expecting a big crowd at Imola like the old days,” he added.