The FIA confirmed that any aerodynamic device attached to the exhaust tailpipe will be prohibited from the 2027 season onward. The decision was announced on the same weekend Ferrari trialled its car without the wing during opening practice in Austria, with test driver Dino Beganovic gathering baseline data.
Ferrari introduced the exhaust wing by positioning its gearbox and crash structure to mount a small wing behind the exhaust, boosting downforce and extending the diffuser’s effect. Rival teams such as Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull mimicked the concept by exploiting a loophole that allowed a tailpipe “support” to be fitted. The regulator feared that leaving the area unchecked would spark a costly aerodynamic arms race.
To close the loophole, the new rules define an exhaust exclusion zone – a cylindrical volume 20 mm larger than the tailpipe – that bans any part within that space. The allowance for tailpipe supports is also removed. Ferrari’s wing‑less test will help teams assess low‑downforce circuits, as shedding the wing reduces drag and may recover roughly 10 kW of lost power caused by exhaust back‑pressure.
