Ferrari’s aerodynamic advantage that Mercedes tried to emulate in Madrid
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Mercedes attempted to replicate a Ferrari aerodynamic innovation known as the 'flick tail mode' (FTM) exhaust during the Madrid race. The modification, which helps manage airflow to the rear wing, was ultimately removed after a brief trial period.
Why it matters
This highlights the highly competitive and iterative nature of Formula 1 engineering, where teams constantly monitor and attempt to reverse-engineer rival technical solutions.
Technical Contributors Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola Mercedes briefly ran a new interpretation of Ferrari’s FTM (flick tail mode) exhaust at the Madring, but the modification was removed for the rest of the weekend when the W17 ran with the same arrangement as in the previous race, at Monza.
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