Red Bull and Audi exploited a clever floor stay loophole this season to skirt sidepod radius limits, but the FIA is outlawing it for 2027. The trick bypasses regulations that restrict how aggressive sidepod edge shapes can be, letting both teams run sharper undercuts that channel cleaner airflow to the diffuser.
Bodywork radius rules dictate the maximum permitted angles on panel corners and edges. Red Bull and Audi's floor stay design found a gap in the wording, delivering an aero edge most of the grid couldn't copy under the current interpretation.
The regulators are rewriting the rule to close that door next season, forcing both teams to either scrap the concept or start over. It's textbook F1 development warfare—exploit the gray area while it's there, bank the advantage, then watch the rulebook evolve. When 2027 arrives, expect far tighter policing on sidepod geometry.
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