Revealed: FIA's Red Bull sidepod ban is already in the 2027 rulebook

Earlier this week, reports suggested the FIA was merely evaluating a move against Red Bull's aerodynamic solution just as Max Verstappen hit top form with back-to-back victories. However, updated details confirm the matter is already signed, sealed, and approved by the World Motor Sport Council.

The updated regulation, published under Issue 3 of the 2027 technical regulations, received formal WMSC approval. The design exploit centred around Article C3.5.14, which governs floor components. In 2026, Red Bull cleverly routed a thin rod along the lower sidepod to bypass strict bodywork radius requirements, allowing designers to create an aggressive, sharp carbon edge. This indentation enabled airflow to feed critical floor surfaces toward the rear of the car.

The new wording strictly limits where these rods can intersect any bodywork surfaces, restricting them only to areas immediately adjacent to mounting points and tightly defined zones on the engine cover.

A supplementary regulation now mandates teams from using structural stays as a loophole to sharpen aerodynamic edges.

For the 2027 season, both Red Bull and Audi, who introduced their own version of the concept in Baku, will have to redesign the lower edge of their sidepods to comply with standard curvature limits.

Crucially for the current championship battle, the interpretation remains entirely legal under the 2026 regulations. Max Verstappen’s RB22 will run completely untouched at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin as the Dutchman hunts down a third consecutive Grand Prix victory. However, both Audi and Red Bull will need to rethink. their designs to comply with the 2027 regulations.