FIA officially bans Ferrari’s FTM exhaust wing concept from the 2027 Formula 1 season
The FIA has officially confirmed that the FTM, the innovative aerodynamic device positioned behind the exhaust, will be banned from the 2027 Formula 1 season. The governing body has introduced a new exclusion zone around the exhaust in the technical regulations, a move designed to prevent another costly technical development battle in the years ahead. Teams will also no longer be allowed to create aerodynamic structures supported by the exhaust mounting, closing another loophole that several competitors had already begun exploiting during the 2026 campaign.
In recent weeks, ScuderiaFans.com reported that several manufacturers were prepared to support a proposal aimed at outlawing the small aerodynamic element located behind the exhaust. The concept was originally introduced by Ferrari before being copied—albeit through different interpretations—by several rival teams over the course of the season. The FIA has now made that decision official, confirming that the FTM will no longer be permitted from 2027 onward.
FTM, short for Flick Tail Mode, was one of the most sophisticated innovations developed by Ferrari’s engineers during the design phase of the 2026 Formula 1 car, highlighting how deeply integrated the concept was within the original chassis and aerodynamic package. The solution cleverly exploited an area of the regulations that remained largely unrestricted, specifically within 60 millimetres of the rear axle.
Although the device partially obstructed the exhaust flow—resulting in a small engine power loss measured at only a few horsepower—it generated significant aerodynamic gains by redirecting the exhaust gases. The exhaust plume was carefully guided to improve the efficiency of the airflow exiting the diffuser, effectively extending its influence while also energising the lower section of the rear wing. The overall result was a measurable increase in aerodynamic efficiency and rear downforce.
After debuting the concept during pre-season testing in Bahrain, where it immediately attracted attention for the ingenuity of its fully integrated design, Ferrari continued refining the system throughout the year. Engineers eventually developed what resembled a protective cage surrounding the exhaust outlet, further amplifying the aerodynamic effects generated by the redirected exhaust gases.
Haas, which shares Ferrari’s rear-end architecture, later introduced a similar solution, although its version was less extreme and featured the addition of two small aerodynamic flaps. Other teams chose a different route altogether, relying on Article C3.9.2 of the technical regulations to reproduce the same underlying principle. They used the exhaust support integrated into the rear deformable structure as the foundation for recreating, at least partially, the aerodynamic behaviour achieved by Ferrari’s original FTM concept.
So far, no rival has managed to reproduce the complexity or overall effectiveness of Ferrari’s FTM design. Nevertheless, the Formula 1 grid has seen several creative interpretations inspired by the original idea. Although the FIA approved all of these solutions for the current season, the Federation recognised the growing risk that this area of the regulations could evolve into another expensive technical battleground, with increasingly sophisticated and costly developments—much like what previously occurred with Mercedes’ highly innovative floor concepts.
At the same time, the FIA is working to reduce overall aerodynamic downforce by approximately 40 points ahead of the 2027 season. Besides preventing another costly development race centred around increasingly elaborate aerodynamic devices, eliminating the FTM concept will also contribute to achieving that downforce reduction target. The broader objective is to improve energy management not only through the next generation of Power Unit regulations, but also by making significant changes to both the aerodynamic and chassis regulations.
To eliminate the possibility of recreating the FTM from 2027, the FIA has introduced a brand-new exclusion zone behind the exhaust through Article 2.3.7 of the Formula 1 Technical Regulations. A cylindrical protected area is now defined around the exhaust pipe, within which no car component may be placed, with the sole exception of the exhaust itself.
In practical terms, the entire length of the exhaust must now be surrounded by a completely empty cylindrical volume, with a diameter 20 millimetres greater than that of the exhaust pipe. This mandatory “air gap” prevents teams from positioning any aerodynamic components within the area, effectively eliminating every possible attempt to recreate the aerodynamic effect previously generated by Ferrari’s FTM solution.
Furthermore, to stop teams from reproducing concepts similar to those seen on other cars this season, the FIA has completely rewritten the section of the regulations governing exhaust supports. The previous wording, which effectively allowed these supports to be shaped into aerodynamic appendages capable of redirecting exhaust gases, has been removed entirely.
During Friday’s free practice sessions, Ferrari also carried out evaluation work with reserve driver Dino Beganovic, who completed runs with both the FTM-equipped configuration and a version without the device. The purpose of the programme was not to prepare for the 2027 regulation changes, but rather to better understand how the system performs on high-speed circuits, where the additional downforce generated by the FTM may not always offset the corresponding increase in aerodynamic drag.
Leave a Reply