Red Bull and Audi floor-stay loophole outlawed from 2027

The floor-stay loophole used by Red Bull and Audi in 2026 will be outlawed from 2027, closing a route around the rules for sidepod edges.

In his technical article for Formula 1, Mark Hughes explains that the floor stay gets around the limit on radius angle at the sidepod edges. That permits a more aggressive shape intended to produce cleaner airflow along the sidepod undercut towards the rear of the car. The wider bodywork rules set maximum permitted radius angles at panel corners and edges.