Alastair Gibson and Ross Brawn’s working relationship began at Benetton F1 in 1995 where Ross was Technical Director and Alastair was No.1 Mechanic. However, just two years later, in 1997 Ross moved on to Ferrari F1. 

After a brief sabbatical Ross returned to Formula 1 as Team Principal for HONDA where Alastair had moved up the ranks and was now Chief Mechanic. The pair worked together for only a few races before Alastair decided to leave F1 to pursue his art career full time. But it was during this short time at HONDA that their long lasting friendship was established.

Ross commissioned his first Carbon art Sculpture; a one-off Koi Carp sculpture for his personal collection to celebrate his passion for this fish. 

There is no doubt that the peak of Ross’s career was when he formed his own F1 team in 2009, which remarkably went on to win both the F1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in its debut season with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello behind the Wheel.

Ross later commissioned A BRAWN GP inspired Hammerhead shark inspired by the 2009 BRAWN GP world championship car, featuring the iconic colours and sleek lines.

When Jenson decided to retire from F1 racing, It was no surprise that Channel 4 approached Alastair to commission his leaving gift…a bespoke Brawn GP J Manta Inspired by the Brawn GP livery that saw him win the 2009 Constructors and Drivers World Championship and made up of parts accumulated over the course of his formula one career with HONDA and Alastair.

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Alastair and Ross kept in touch over the years but it was an exciting collaboration that brought the pair back together…In 2015 Ross was asked to create a DNA sculpture for Cancer Research UK’s art installation and auction and it was Alastair he turned to for help.

 The sculpture was to be unveiled to the public at Peter's Hill, St Paul's as part of Cancer Research UK’s campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Francis Crick Institute, a world-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation. Francis Crick was the man who helped discover the DNA double helix in 1953. ‘After The Race’ was created by Ross Brawn, with help from Alastair and Bastien Hibon, based on what’s in his DNA…racing!

'After the Race' shows the punishment a modern F1 car endures during a Grand Prix, this relates to our DNA as we race through life. The human body (DNA) starts life all shiny and new. As you live your life, the edges start to get battered, the joints start to ache, the muscles weaken and the faculties deteriorate. But, you carry on with what you have.

 A racing car is the same. It starts the race all shiny and new, but when it crosses the finish line it is battered, bruised and worn out.

This sculpture was created to represent how a F1 car looks after the race. The dirt and debris used have been acquired from the race track. The stones have been fired at it to represent the gravel on the race track, and the colours represent BrawnGP, my greatest career success."- Ross Brawn

The piece was 1 of 21 double helix sculptures on display across London amongst designs by leading sculptors, artists and designers from across the world, including Zaha Hadid, Orla Kiely, Jane Morgan and twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken but ‘After The Race’ managed to gross the second highest bid in the Charity’s auction raising an impressive £50 000! 

In 2024 it was another Charity Event that reunited the pair yet again...

Hope For Tomorrow’s ‘Brawn F1, Making it Possible’ was a black tie charity event in London where Ross Brawn and Nick Fry, along with Caroline McGrory gave insight into their remarkable F1 World Championship win in 2009. 

Alastair | Carbon Art 45 donated a special edition of 22 signed Brawn Baby Piranha Sculptures to feature as table centrepieces on the night which were later auctioned by none other than Thomas Forrester in the efforts to provide mobile cancer care units for NHS trusts across England.

The evening was a huge success; not only did Alastair get the chance to mingle with some old friends and colleagues but all 22 Piranhas were ultimately sold out and successfully raised funds for the cause.

Alastair and Ross' passion for racing, engineering and the natural world is what this dynamic duo share on and off track and by combining their expertise , they have managed to create some impactful and truly meaningful projects over the years…we look forward to seeing what is next from both of them