When Lotus became the first Formula 1 team to harness ground-effect aerodynamics in the late 1970s, it went to remarkable lengths to keep the secret even though the hardware was almost in plain sight. When removing the 79 car from its transporter and working on it, the mechanics would routinely conceal the differential under a blanket.
This rudimentary piece of misdirection worked, assisted by Mario Andretti dropping meaningful hints about the differential, complex fuel-load management, and various other elements of technical witchcraft. For several seasons Ferrari chief engineer Mauro Forghieri remained convinced that some sort of diff trickery was the root of Lotus's dominance, hence the Scuderia's tardy uptake of underbody venturi.
