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The F1 underdog thwarted by its bazooka-seeking owner

Some 30 years on, the story of how an F3000 outfit stepped up to the big leagues and took an F1 podium in its first season is no less dramatic than it was in 1989. But Onyx's initial demise was just as swift - and even more dramatic - as its rise

It's a tale involving a snake, laundry bags stuffed with Belgian francs, a Porsche set on fire in downtown Brussels and the search for a bazooka.

Yet the most remarkable thing about the Onyx squad's maiden season of Formula 1 in 1989 was the success it enjoyed with a car that didn't turn a proper lap prior to the first race weekend. Imagine a team stepping up from Formula 2 today and making it onto the podium in year one after building up its machinery in the pits at Melbourne. Yet Onyx did the equivalent of that just over 30 years ago after making the move from Formula 3000.

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