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All four of Ferrari’s rival engine manufacturers are now ready to vote through the FIA’s proposal to ban the blown exhaust concept that the Scuderia pioneered for the SF-26.
The Maranello crew have sought to push the boat out with the development of the SF-26 so far this season, in the hopes of designing aerodynamic concepts that can bridge part of their engine’s deficit. Ferrari are convinced that their engine lacks power compared to Mercedes’.
Fred Vasseur has encouraged Ferrari to be more aggressive with their aero development this year, as well. His approach inspired the pride of Italy’s Macarena rear wing and their exhaust flap, known as the Flick Tail Mode (FTM), which have been key parts on Ferrari’s car thus far.
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Ferrari’s rival engine manufacturers are ready to vote for the FIA’s ban on blown exhausts
Ferrari first unveiled the FTM during the second Bahrain pre-season test, before revealing an upgraded version at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month. However, the FIA is set to hold a vote among the F1 engine manufacturers on banning the blown exhaust concept from 2027.
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That is according to Motorsport.com, which also reports that all four of Ferrari’s rival engine manufacturers in Mercedes, Red Bull, Audi and Honda are ready to vote for the FIA’s ban on blown exhausts from 2027. Ferrari are the sole engine manufacturer keen to retain the FTM.
Ferrari would stand to lose a lot from the FIA banning the inclusion of a plate that covers the bottom half of the exhaust exit. It is estimated that Ferrari’s FTM can be worth at least half a second a lap, despite plugging the exhaust costing them between seven and 13 horsepower.
Vasseur and Ferrari’s engineers accepted the trade-off as the FTM speeds up the flow of air from the diffuser and improves the efficiency of the lower part of the rear wing. The FTM’s impact has even given Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc a better feeling for the rear-end.
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The FIA started to consider banning Ferrari’s blown exhaust concept after seeing multiple F1 teams start to debut their own interpretations at the Miami Grand Prix. F1’s governing body wants to erase the grey area in the rules that allowed the FTM to avoid a development race.
It was initially believed that Ferrari and their engine customer teams Haas and Cadillac may be the only crews who could use the FTM concept, as the Scuderia designed their engine so that the plate that covers the bottom of the exhaust exit stays within 60mm of the rear axle.
But other teams have since found alternative ways to interpret the regulations to design an FTM concept of their own. Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, Alpine, Williams and Cadillac had their own concepts in Miami, while Haas copied Ferrari’s FTM in China as the first to do so.
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