As the most elite division of motorsport, Formula One is where the slightest adjustment to the smallest parts can mean the difference between romping to victory and coming home near the back of the pack.
Even with cost control rules, Formula One teams spend millions on motorsport gears, complex aerodynamic innovations and the slightest changes to cut milliseconds off of their target times, but in F1’s past, some particularly strange methods were used to get a competitive edge.
Arguably the weirdest and most controversial was the method McLaren Mercedes used in 1998 to get the most out of the restrictive engine specifications that came after the result of major changes to the technical regulations.
McLaren and Ferrari, the two biggest teams that year, were in an aggressive battle both on the track and behind closed doors in complaints meetings, but by 1999 the two teams had gotten exceptionally close to each other in terms of power.
The difference however, was that thanks to a beryllium alloy, the McLaren Mercedes engine was able to deliver more power despite revving at the same speed as the Ferrari engine, as the metal had elastic properties that delivered a long piston stroke.
Ultimately, after several complaints over safety, cost and competitive fairness, the FIA opted to ban the material from 2000 onwards, although McLaren Team Principal Ron Dennis argued for years afterwards that beryllium was safe once installed and was a legal advantage.
The immediate response was to look for a legal alternative that turned out to be even more expensive, with at least one time planning to use a mix of aluminium and boralyn at one point.
The lesson the FIA ultimately learned was to close as many opportunities for creative interpretation of the rules, which did eventually stop the use of expensive exotic metals, avoiding a repeat of the problems that were found when magnesium was commonly used to create car bodywork parts.