Shortly before the start of the 2008 Formula One season, Patrick Head, the veteran engineering chief of the Williams team, voiced concern about one rival in particular. “BMW have been running with quite a lot of fuel in their car in recent tests,” he said. “I think they may be stronger than anyone realises.”

Head’s suspicion was that by running with the extra weight in the car, BMW Sauber were masking their true performance, or “sandbagging” to use the sporting term.