Ferrari is a step ahead, claims Brawn

Brawn, who has been Ferrari's technical director since 1996, says that clinching the drivers' and constructors' championships at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix will not aid the development of next year's Ferrari, because work shifted to the team's 2002 machine some time ago.

"We stopped the aerodynamic work on this car [the F2001] a month or two ago," Brawn exclusively told Autosport.com, "because we wanted to concentrate on the new car, and besides which we'd done everything that we wanted to do for this season."

Brawn is quick to point out, however, that development work for next year's car does not mean the F2001 will suffer as a result, because the development for the remaining races of this season has already been done.

"Testing stuff for the new car will get a priority, which is natural," said Brawn. "But we're not going to ease off. We've got a new aero package for Spa and a new aero package for Suzuka. We want to win more races and we want Rubens [Barricherllo] to finish second in the championship, so we've got lots to go for."

A Ferrari driver has been on the podium for the last 32 Grands Prix and Brawn sees no reason why such dominance should not continue.

"Of course you can always do better," he said. "But it [this year] has been a very good step forward, and I see no reason why next year's car, next year's crew and next year's team shouldn't be just as strong.

"[As for now], we're going into four races with no championships at stake, so it is very strange. It is going to be a curious feeling. It hasn't happened for a very long time, and it will be interesting to see how it goes."