Haas follows Ferrari with exhaust wing innovation for Chinese GP

The Haas F1 team has introduced its own version of Ferrari's innovative exhaust-mounted wing at the Chinese Grand Prix, leveraging its technical partnership with the Scuderia to adopt a similar aerodynamic concept. While not as aggressive as the original, Haas's version aims to harness exhaust flow to boost rear downforce, marking a significant upgrade for the American squad. Ferrari, meanwhile, has debuted further aerodynamic tweaks, including small winglets on the halo's central pillar.

Why it matters:

This move highlights the tangible benefits of Haas's close technical alliance with Ferrari, allowing it to adopt cutting-edge concepts that other teams cannot directly copy due to different car architectures. For Haas, which has struggled for outright performance, implementing such a targeted aerodynamic gain is a crucial step in closing the gap to the midfield. It also underscores the intense focus on exploiting every legal aerodynamic trick in the current regulatory era, where marginal gains are paramount.

The Details:

• Ferrari's original design, first seen in testing, features a small wing mounted atop the rear crash structure to capture and clean up the turbulent, hot exhaust gases exiting the diffuser.
• The concept's legality is tied to a specific design choice in the relationship between Ferrari's gearbox and crash structure, creating a "box" where the wing can be placed.
• As a customer of Ferrari's gearbox and rear-end components, Haas possesses similar design freedoms, enabling it to develop a bespoke version for its VF-24 chassis.
• Haas's Interpretation: The Haas wing is less aggressively shaped than Ferrari's but is tailored to work with its own diffuser's airflow. The team states its design promotes "upwash," improving local aerodynamics and increasing load.
• Ferrari's Continued Innovation: In China, Ferrari also debuted two small winglets on the central pillar of the halo, aimed at optimizing cockpit airflow for a "small aerodynamic load benefit."
• Other Updates: Audi arrived in Shanghai with a revised front wing endplate and nose, focusing on improving downstream flow characteristics and load efficiency.

What's next:

The development race intensifies as teams bring key upgrades to the first Chinese Grand Prix since 2019. Haas will be keen to evaluate the real-world performance gain from its new exhaust wing during the Sprint weekend format. If successful, this could become a staple on its car. All eyes will remain on Ferrari to see if its suite of aerodynamic innovations translates into a sustained performance advantage over rivals like Red Bull and McLaren. The replication of such a niche concept also puts a spotlight on the strategic value of customer team partnerships in the cost-cap era.