Formula 1 has announced the ban of the “floor stay” from the 2027 season, an ingenious regulatory trick used this season by Red Bull and Audi teams.
This technique allowed teams to bypass the imposed limitation on the radius angle at the edges of the sidepods, creating a more aggressive shape that improves airflow under the sidepod towards the rear of the car, thereby optimizing aerodynamics.
Current regulations strictly govern the maximum radius angles allowed on the corners and edges of bodywork panels. The ‘floor stay’ exploited a loophole in these rules to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.
This ban aims to ensure compliance with the radius angle rules on bodywork panels and to standardize aerodynamic performance of the cars starting from 2027.