The new car proved to be extremely promising for McLaren early in the season as they rotated back to their winning ways by David Coulthard vanquishing the first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren’s first win since losing the legendary Ayrton Senna. That promising start of the season soon became thoroughly frustrating, as the new V10 engines began to display frequent engine failures. The situation worsened when Coulthard’s team mate, Mika Hakkinen, was forced to retire from three further races while in the lead, all due to engine failures, with the Grand Prix of Luxembourg held at Nurburgring being the most devastating to the McLaren team.
Unbeknownst to team principal Ron Dennis, the retirement of both McLarens in the GP of Luxembourg attested to be the inception of worst to come. The McLarens came to rest on the start/finish line within one lap of each other, resulting from identical engine failures, giving Formula One photographer Darren Heath the opportunity he had been waiting for.
Among other Formula One spectators , Heath had noticed the rear brakes on the McLarens glowing during acceleration zones of the A1-Ring in Austria, just one week prior to the GP of Luxembourg. Posted up within striking distance of where the McLarens ceased, Heath made his way over to Hakkinen’s car and captured photos of the MP4/12 pedal assembly. McLaren’s secret had been discovered.
Review of the developed film revealed a second brake pedal. This gave the driver the ability to manipulate either of the rear brakes independently of the others, eliminating understeer as well as wheel spin when exiting corners. Ron Dennis was furious to hear the brilliant system had been exposed only a short week after the Brake Steer system had been put into service.
The system would later be banned in the following season at the 1998 Brazilian Grand Prix, thanks to Ferrari’s protestations to the FIA.
Ferrari is always protesting when any team has advantages.
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