Brabham pioneered the "sprint" strategy, starting races with half-empty tanks and making rapid pit stops. This forced the rest of the grid to adapt to mid-race refuelling, changing the tactical nature of F1 forever.
Teams lost roughly 50% of their downforce overnight.
The championship battle centered on three distinct personalities and three powerhouse manufacturers: Nelson Piquet (Brabham-BMW), Alain Prost (Renault), and René Arnoux (Ferrari). Nelson Piquet (Brabham-BMW)
Engineers moved toward "dart" or "arrow" shaped cars.