FIA closes exhaust wing loophole for 2027 after Ferrari's clever pre-season find

The FIA has officially amended Formula 1’s 2027 technical regulations to outlaw exhaust wings, shutting down a loophole Ferrari had quietly exploited since pre-season testing in Bahrain. The updated rules were ratified by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council in Macau and published on Friday.

Ferrari engineers discovered that by moving the differential as far rearward as possible — taking advantage of space beneath the deformable structure — they could mount a small winglet atop the tailpipe and use exhaust gas to feed it additional downforce. The device, internally dubbed FTM, was legal under the 2026 regulations, which permitted aerodynamic devices in that zone provided they did not extend more than 60mm from the axle. Because the solution was designed into the car’s architecture from the outset, rival teams found it difficult to replicate quickly.

From the Miami Grand Prix onwards, however, Mercedes and others found a related workaround, fitting a small bracket atop the tailpipe to function as a winglet — a less potent but still meaningful aerodynamic gain. That avenue now appears closed too. The FIA has heavily revised Article C3.9, which governs tailpipe placement and adjacent bodywork, while the new Article C2.3.7 introduces an explicit exclusion zone around the tailpipe cylinder, preventing any non-tailpipe bodywork from sitting within a defined radius of that area.

The governing body acted to prevent what it described as designs “getting out of control” in future seasons, choosing to tighten the rules for 2027 rather than intervene mid-cycle in the current campaign. Ferrari’s exhaust wing remains legal for the remainder of the 2026 season.

At the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday, Lewis Hamilton was spotted running his SF-26 with the exhaust wing fitted during the first free practice session. Rookie driver Dino Beganovic — standing in for the rested Charles Leclerc — was initially seen with the device before it was removed for the rest of the session. The exercise is understood to be a comparative evaluation between the two configurations ahead of future races this year.