Brawn: The fan comes first with Liberty Media

Formula One sporting managing director Ross Brawn has insisted that the owners of the sport, Liberty Media, are implementing a new philosophy which will see 'the fan come first' as they hope to make F1 the 'greatest spectacle in sport in the world'.

Brawn previously worked with Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes as technical director before making his return in January when he was employed by Liberty Media following their takeover.

The American organisation has implemented some polarising changes since taking ownership, including regulation alterations to do with engines. They have also recently ditched grid girls and started a new digital marketing initiative, and Brawn insists it is all for the fans.

"I think what has changed is the philosophy. The philosophy now is that the fan comes first and we want to produce the greatest spectacle in sport in the world," Brawn told Business Life.

"But it will take time to establish all the information we need, to do all the analysis and then start to complement changes that we believe will make the sport greater. That's a two, three, even five-year cycle."

Liberty Media are set to implement a more considered approach when making decisions and not make any alterations to the sport lightly, at least according to Brawn.

"There was a tendency for there to be a very reactive style. There'd be a drama or a problem and everyone would get together to try and solve it," the managing director said.

"But that's not how you'd run a team, for instance. You'd run a team by trying to forward plan, trying to evolve, trying to develop, making evidence-based decisions.

"I always felt that F1 had never really evolved or developed around those principles, and I sat there at home watching F1 thinking that there was a better way of the sport evolving."