Overview
- The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council ratified the ban Friday in Macau and published updated 2027 technical rules that outlaw aerodynamic parts around the tailpipe.
- The written change creates a cylindrical exclusion zone 20mm wider than the tailpipe and strips the rule that allowed a single tailpipe “support” to be fitted.
- Ferrari pioneered the concept by repositioning its gearbox, differential and crash structure to mount a small wing above the exhaust called FTM, a solution rivals could not copy without major rehomologation.
- Teams including Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull used the separate tailpipe‑support allowance to add smaller exhaust‑area devices this season, prompting the FIA to act before the development race escalated.
- Technical estimates put Ferrari’s device at roughly 0.5 seconds per lap in value while costing about 7–13 hp, and Ferrari ran the SF‑26 without the wing in Austria FP1 to gather data for circuit‑specific deployment as teams rework 2027 plans.