Bernie Collins says it’s “good to see” Haas already using the exhaust flap design Ferrari introduced, after noticing the change at the 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix.
Formula 1 hasn’t wasted any time shifting its focus from Melbourne to Shanghai. Haas started the new season on a positive note, with Oliver Bearman finishing P7 in Australia.
Ferrari had a solid outing too, with Charles Leclerc taking third place and Lewis Hamilton right behind him in fourth. Leclerc even made a play for the lead at one point, but Ferrari opted not to follow Mercedes’ strategy of pitting under the virtual safety car.
The rear of Ferrari’s SF-26 had already drawn attention during pre-season testing in Bahrain, thanks to their new exhaust flap design. Now, Collins has noticed that Haas are running something very similar on their VF-26 at this weekend’s race in China.
Bernie Collins impressed by Haas’s quick adoption of Ferrari’s exhaust flap
Ferrari needed special approval from the FIA for their exhaust flap at the second pre-season test in Bahrain. But their part was approved, as the Scuderia designed their entire rear crash structure so they could use a small plate to cover the lower half of the exhaust on the SF-26.
The design required Ferrari to position their differential as far back as possible to stay within the 60mm limit, raising doubts about how easily others could replicate it. Still, Haas, who use Ferrari power units, managed to fit a similar plate onto their car.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Collins said: “Haas have been keeping an eye, I think, on what Ferrari are doing with their car. In the pit lane, all the teams walk up and down.
“And one of the upgrades that’s been brought this week is Haas have brought a little rear winglet that’s on the rear crash structure, in behind the exhaust. It is smaller but not a million miles away from Ferrari’s little rear winglet that goes behind their exhaust.
“I just went down to Haas. I’ve seen it. It’s definitely there. It’s in a very similar location and a little bit smaller. But they’re obviously trying that out in the P1 session.”
“And it’s good to see teams – it’s only race two [and] only a week since we were racing in Australia – already bringing these upgrades and trying them.”
How Ferrari and Haas are using exhaust flaps to boost their 2026 F1 cars
Haas have followed Ferrari’s lead by fitting a small plate over the lower half of the exhaust, a change designed to boost the efficiency of both the rear diffuser and rear wing. Observers noted during pre-season testing that this modification also seemed to help Ferrari with tyre wear.
Some rival aerodynamicists believe that while the flap helps improve airflow around the diffuser, it might come at a cost to rear wing performance because of the upwash it creates. Collins has pointed out similarities between this feature and the old monkey seats previously seen in Formula 1.
Collins added: “I think they’re trying to use the exhaust gases in order to move a little bit of downforce.
“We used to have what we called a monkey seat that was further back on the rear wing, more in line with the rear wing pillar, so this is just a method of using that exhaust gas in order to promote a little bit of downforce in the rear of the car.”
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