FIA bans Red Bull sidepod loophole for 2027
Audi subsequently copied the idea
The FIA has moved to close an aerodynamic loophole used by Red Bull and later copied by Audi, just as Max Verstappen and Red Bull have returned to winning form.
Auto Motor und Sport reports that Red Bull first exploited an exemption around the floor stays, which are thin structural supports used to stabilise the underbody.
Because the regulations allowed more freedom where those stays passed through the bodywork, Red Bull was able to create a much sharper sidepod edge than would normally be permitted under the radius rules.
The concept was refined further with the team’s Baku upgrade and is believed to have contributed to more precise airflow towards the rear floor area.
Audi subsequently copied the idea.
However, Article C3.5.14 is set to be amended for 2027 so teams can no longer use the floor-stay exemption to bypass the normal bodywork radius requirements.
That means Red Bull and Audi will have to soften those sharp sidepod edges if they want to retain the same basic concept.
Auto Motor und Sport stressed that the rule change is not a reaction to Red Bull’s recent victories, but a standard attempt by the FIA to close a loophole once teams have begun exploiting it.