This pattern is even more pronounced in motorsport. The history of Formula 1 is the story of teams finding ways to tweak their cars to gain an advantage, other teams whining about unfairness, and the FIA then tweaking the rules to outlaw the “innovation”.
Examples include:
Brabham BT-46 -- a car that used a fan to suck air out from underneath it, allowing it to produce extra downforce
Tyrell P34 -- a car that had six wheels instead of four, to gain additional front grip for turning
In fact, one of the criticisms that many fans have of the FIA is that it goes too far with this. It seems like the moment any team gains an advantage by exploiting a loophole in the rules, the FIA takes action to close the loophole, without necessarily waiting to see if other teams can respond with innovations of their own.
This pattern is even more pronounced in motorsport. The history of Formula 1 is the story of teams finding ways to tweak their cars to gain an advantage, other teams whining about unfairness, and the FIA then tweaking the rules to outlaw the “innovation”.
Examples include:
Brabham BT-46 -- a car that used a fan to suck air out from underneath it, allowing it to produce extra downforce
Tyrell P34 -- a car that had six wheels instead of four, to gain additional front grip for turning
Williams FW-14B—a car that featured an electronic active suspension to ensure that it maintained the optimum ride height for its aerodynamics in all circumstances
Renault R25 -- which used a mass damper to keep the front end of the car settled
Red Bull RB6 -- which routed the exhaust underneath the car, in order to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the floor
In fact, one of the criticisms that many fans have of the FIA is that it goes too far with this. It seems like the moment any team gains an advantage by exploiting a loophole in the rules, the FIA takes action to close the loophole, without necessarily waiting to see if other teams can respond with innovations of their own.