Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP Team Principal

Often described as Formula One's Kingmaker, and the brains behind multiple driver championships and constructor's titles. Ross Brawn is a master of mechanics, aerodynamics and, in particular, race tactics.

Brawn's first job was as a trainee engineer for the UK Atomic Energy Authority at the age of 16. Six years later, he moved to motorsport, joining the Williams team as a mechanic. A year on and he was managing William's R&D, helping turn a little known team into multiple championship winners.

In 1991 he designed Derek Warwick and Teo Fabi’s World Sportscar Championship winning Jaguar XJR-14. Back in F1, Ross designed the Benetton cars that gave Michael Schumacher his first two world championship titles.

When Schumacher moved to Ferrari, he made it a condition that Brawn came with him, as technical director. At the time, Ferrari was seldom on the podium, but just two years later Ferrari, Brawn & Schumacher won the first of six consecutive constructors' titles and with the first of five drivers' championships coming a year later.

"His decisions changed everything for me, Ross is a very clever man who can examine a situation and give us a plan to win. Not everybody has that gift. He is the best in Formula One" - Michael Schumacher

In 2007, he left Ferrari for what was billed as a year's sabbatical and travelled Russia's Kola Peninsula, New Zealand and South America. Brawn returned to F1 and became head of Honda's 'Earth Dream' racing team in 2008. The team decided to focus on developing the 2009 car and many presumed that with the introduction of KERS, Honda's experience with hybrids would put them in a strong position. However, amid the global recession, the Japanese car giant decided to pull out of racing.

Brawn, a quietly spoken man who lists his other interests as fishing, gardening and music, decided to step in and save the team. Brawn GP was born - without KERS - and with hardly any sponsorship, the virgin team surpassed even the wildest expectations, winning the constructor's title and giving Jenson Button a much-deserved world champioship title.

Brawn GP is now the official Mercedes works team and Ross Brawn is re-united with Michael Schumacher who has returned to the sport to race a silver arrow for his country.