FIA advisor Herbie Blash reveals CHEATS used by F1 teams during grands prix

FIA

FIA advisor reveals CHEATS used by F1 teams during grands prix

Former F1 team manager Blash reveals the secrets behind teams pushing the boundaries in motor racing

Jay Winter

Friday 4 August 2023 08:27

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In the competitive world of Formula 1, teams have often pushed the boundaries to gain a competitive edge. Teams are constantly searching for grey areas in order to squeeze the maximum amount of performance out of a car.

Michael "Herbie" Blash, a former Brabham team manager, turned senior advisor for the FIA race directors, has opened up about some of the clandestine tactics used by teams in the past, shedding light on the era when F1 teams would "sail close to the wind".

Speaking on F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, Blash refrained from giving away all the secrets but acknowledged that Brabham, under the leadership of the innovative designer Gordon Murray and team principal Bernie Ecclestone, occasionally pushed the limits to gain an advantage.

"Well, I can't give those secrets away," he said.

"I think it's well known that we used to sometimes have heavy bodywork and that bodywork would go on at the end of practice or the end of the race."

One of the most iconic examples of their ingenuity was the infamous water-cooled brakes.

"In those days, you could top up your fluids at the end of the race before you were weighed again, recalled Blash.

"We had these lovely tanks, they must have held about five gallons, and going round to the start of the race, you push the button, and the little electric motor would just dump all of that water out. Then at the end of the race, you’ve got to top up the water tanks."

The former Lotus mechanic worked together with F1 great Damon Hill

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When asked about the prevalence of such tactics among other teams, Blash suggested that many of the top teams were playing similar games.

"I think the majority of the top teams were playing," he said.

"Tyrrell, unfortunately, went a step too far when they were pumping lead into their tyres during the pit stop. I know of a team that was pumping water into their tyres.

"We used to have a rather heavy seat that took two people, our two strongest mechanics, to lift into the car in preparation for weighing at the end of the race. There were lots of little tricks."

Modern-day tricks

The era of F1 in which Blash worked was markedly different from today's heavily regulated and scrutinised sport.

"The tricks today are basically all computerised, and obviously the cars are scrutineered from top to bottom," he explained.

"It’s so restricted, whereas back in those Brabham days, it was very relaxed, and it was so easy to do things that you shouldn't do."

Blash also disclosed a fascinating anecdote about a unique lightweight qualifying car Brabham employed for the Monaco Grand Prix.

"Of course, in those days you didn't have to race with the car that you qualified in," said the 74-year-old.

"I think that must have had the smallest fuel tank, a little motorcycle battery. It wouldn't have been able to do more than six laps.

"In those days, teams were not required to race with the same car they qualified in. Blash revealed that the car had the smallest fuel tank and a little motorcycle battery, making it capable of only six laps."