Ferrari Tests New Exhaust for Germany

The Scuderia Ferrari team has put a new exhaust system through its paces in Hockenheim. The Italian team are determined to push the boundaries with its aggressive development.

This weekend, the team has opted to mount both the wastegate pipes from its turbo directly on top of the main exhaust.

So far, only Sebastian Vettel is privy to this new design, while Kimi Raikkonen has to make do with the older version.

The updated Ferrari exhaust coincides with a new rear wing design on the SF71H. The new rear wing features an upward curving leading edge to the mainplane.

The parallel changes could point to the tweaks being made to allow for some extra exhaust blowing of the rear wing.

In the past year, the FIA has done a lot to limit the aerodynamic benefits that can be gained from the exhaust.

However, this is F1 after all and technology is always advancing. The point is, teams will always find loopholes anywhere. They will seize the opportunity to use the exhaust gases to drive aerodynamic performance.

What works in their favour is the fact that the regulations permit the exhaust and wastegate pipework to be in proximity to bodywork.

The change of exhaust can be beneficial, especially when allowing the team to package its engine cover even tighter. The bodywork will be flowing around the contours of the new design.

Scuderia Ferrari is able to graft both its wastegates on top of the exhaust in this manner. This is because it has a twin-pillar set-up for its rear wing. Teams that run a more typical single pillar would find this solution more difficult to incorporate.

So far, it seems to be working as Ferrari are keeping Mercedes and Red Bull honest, as of both practice sessions. Daniel Ricciardo topped FP1 while Max Verstappen topped in FP2.