This F1 loophole is so genius that Ferrari wanted to have it banned

Formula 1, aka F1, has always rewarded the teams that read between the lines.

Sometimes the biggest advantage isn’t horsepower. It’s interpretation.

And every so often, someone finds a sentence in the rulebook that changes everything.

This was one of those moments.

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The F1 loophole that let McLaren steer with a brake pedal

Back in the late 1990s, McLaren turned up with something that made rivals do a double take – three pedals in an F1 car.

There was the throttle.

There was the main brake.

And then there was… another brake.

That third pedal was connected to just one rear wheel.

On paper, it was still a brake system. 

In practice, it changed how the car rotated through corners. 

By pressing the throttle and lightly braking one rear wheel at the same time, drivers could help pivot the car mid-corner. 

Slow one side slightly, and the car naturally turns tighter – a bit like how a tank steers by varying track speed.

The advantage? 

Better corner entry, sharper rotation, and cleaner acceleration on exit. 

In an era where cars were producing more than 700 horsepower without electronic driver aids, that extra control was gold.

Naturally, Ferrari wasn’t impressed.

They argued regulations banned steering with more than two wheels and outlawed electronic assists. 

To Ferrari, this looked suspiciously like rear-wheel steering disguised as braking.

But when it reached the FIA, the verdict came down to wording.

It was a brake system. 

The steering effect was merely a side effect. 

And nowhere did the rules say a driver couldn’t press the throttle and a brake pedal at the same time.

So it stayed legal.

For a while.

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Why Ferrari pushed to shut it down

Even though the system passed inspection, it clearly stretched the spirit of the regulations.

Ferrari’s concern wasn’t just competitive – it was philosophical. 

If braking one wheel independently could be used to influence direction under acceleration, then what exactly counted as steering?

Other teams started asking the same question. 

Because once one loophole is exposed, the next one usually isn’t far behind.

Eventually, the governing body tightened the wording. 

Independent rear braking systems were banned, and the clever third pedal disappeared from cockpits.

But by then, the message was clear.

In F1, winning isn’t just about building the fastest car. 

It’s about building the smartest one and making sure the rulebook agrees with you.

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