FIA moves to shut down exhaust wing development
Formula 1’s exhaust wing debate has now moved from paddock intrigue to regulatory certainty. The FIA has made the ban on exhaust wings official for 2027, closing off an aerodynamic area that teams had begun to exploit heavily this season.
The move follows discussions with teams at technical director level after the governing body identified the risk of an increasingly aggressive development race. Although the FIA was satisfied that the current designs complied with the rules, it was also mindful that leaving the area untouched could allow the concept to escalate into a costly technical battleground.
The change sits within a wider regulatory picture already taking shape for 2027, with further context available in our guide to the 2027 F1 regulation changes approved by the FIA.
Ferrari’s concept forced the issue
Ferrari pioneered the idea through the specific positioning of its gearbox and crash structure, which enabled it to place a wing at the rear of the exhaust tailpipe. The design delivers additional downforce by effectively extending the diffuser’s length and improving airflow towards the rear wing.
Rivals could not simply copy Ferrari’s solution because doing so would have required rehomologating car parts. Instead, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull were among the teams to explore similar gains through another part of the regulations, using the allowance for a tailpipe “support” to integrate wing-like elements.
That loophole will disappear. The 2027 rules now introduce a new exhaust exclusion zone, preventing any part of the car from occupying a circular cylinder-shaped area around the exhaust. That zone is defined as 20mm greater than the tailpipe. In addition, the rules permitting tailpipe supports have been removed entirely.
Ferrari gathers data in Austria
The timing of the formal ban was notable because Ferrari ran without its exhaust wing for the first time during opening practice in Austria, with test driver Dino Beganovic carrying out the experiment. His FP1 appearance had already been confirmed as part of Ferrari’s Austrian programme, as covered in our report on Dino Beganovic replacing Charles Leclerc for Austrian GP FP1.
The run was primarily a data-gathering exercise rather than an immediate change of direction. Ferrari is understood to be assessing whether removing the wing could be beneficial at lower-downforce races later in the year.
There is a clear trade-off. Removing the part sheds drag, while also theoretically reducing the exhaust back pressure it creates. That back pressure is believed to cost around 10kW of power. For Ferrari, Austria therefore offered a useful controlled look at what it gains — and loses — without a device that the regulations will soon erase from Formula 1’s design vocabulary.
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