A small but unusual technical detail has emerged at the rear of the Ferrari SF-26: alongside the main exhaust and the secondary outlet associated with the wastegate, the Scuderia can sometimes fit a third, much smaller tube. Unlike the other two, however, this additional outlet is not designed to carry exhaust gases. Its purpose is to remove condensation that can develop beneath a particularly tightly packaged engine cover.
The detail became easier to identify during the Hungarian Grand Prix, after television images from the Belgian GP had once again shown particularly noticeable smoke emerging from the secondary duct at the rear of the SF-26 during start practice. The phenomenon itself was not considered unusual and is most visible when the driver is operating the engine at relatively low revs or carrying out standing-start procedures.
Ferrari SF-26 exhaust layout features an unusual rear arrangement
Ferrari has adopted an original rear-end arrangement, positioning the secondary duct close to the structural area at the back of the car, just above the large oval LED light mounted centrally behind the gearbox. The packaging forms part of the distinctive rear architecture of the SF-26, an area where Ferrari has already adopted several unconventional solutions in its unique rear-end concept.
When the SF-26 is stationary in the garage during an engine fire-up procedure, two ducts can clearly be identified. In the relevant technical detail, the main exhaust outlet is highlighted in red and the secondary duct in yellow.
What the regulations say about the exhaust outlets
According to the described arrangement, manufacturers have two requirements to respect. First, exhaust gases coming from the wastegate must be channelled through a duct separate from the turbine’s main outlet. Second, the other duct must face rearwards and be positioned 10 mm away, measured directly, from the main outlet. The intention behind this requirement is to emphasise the sound produced by the internal combustion engine.
After the significant amount of smoke became visible again during the Belgian Grand Prix, a closer inspection of the car was carried out in Hungary. That examination revealed something else: a third and considerably smaller outlet.
Its construction immediately provided an important clue. The small tube was made of plastic, making it clear that it could not be intended to carry hot exhaust gases. There was another unusual characteristic as well: the component is not permanently fitted to the SF-26 and can only be spotted in certain configurations.
Why Ferrari sometimes runs three rear outlets on the SF-26
The explanation lies in condensation. Ferrari installs the small tube only at Grands Prix where the team chooses to run a particularly closed engine-cover specification. When airflow beneath the bodywork is reduced, the temperature of the air trapped underneath the engine cover becomes extremely high.
The outer bodywork, however, remains at a lower temperature because it is directly exposed to the surrounding atmosphere. The resulting temperature difference can encourage water to form beneath the bodywork through condensation.
Ferrari therefore needs a controlled way to remove that water from underneath the engine cover, and the small third tube provides an outlet towards the exterior of the car. Allowing water to move freely around sensitive components beneath the bodywork is clearly not a situation Formula 1 engineers would want to create.
The solution also highlights the compromises involved in cooling and aerodynamic packaging. Ferrari has already experimented with several approaches to managing temperatures on the SF-26, including a discreet additional cooling intake and revised engine-cover solutions designed to improve thermal management.
During Ferrari’s Monza filming day, for example, the team tested a revised SF-26 engine cover intended to improve cooling efficiency. The small condensation drain demonstrates another, far less obvious consequence of choosing tighter bodywork: controlling not only heat and airflow beneath the cover, but also the moisture that the resulting temperature differences can create.
Leave a Reply