McLaren has mileage edge, says Ferrari tech boss

McLaren's David Coulthard was able to run a longer first stint than both the Ferraris in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, allowing him to eke out a cushion that proved decisive after the single round of fuel and tyre stops.

Brawn is unsure whether McLaren's advantage is down to fuel economy or just a bigger tank, but concedes that Ferrari must look at improving its performance in that area.

"(Whether McLaren has a) bigger fuel tank or smaller fuel consumption, it's impossible to judge," Brawn told Autosport.com. "The right strategy (in Austria) was to go as fast as they could. They followed the right strategy and it paid off for them.

"We've got to examine if we can improve our situation, because we've got a couple of races coming up where it will be just as critical."

Brawn is renowned for being one of the most astute strategists in the F1 pitlane, but an inability to compete on equal terms with McLaren over a longer run (in Austria the majority of teams did not pit until around two thirds distance) limits Ferrari's tactical options in races where a one-stop strategy is the best option.