Mercedes copy Ferrari's 'flick tail mode' exhaust trick in Madrid before dropping it

Mercedes' brief flirtation with Ferrari's FTM concept

Mercedes appeared to take a leaf out of Ferrari's aerodynamic playbook at the Madring, briefly running a new interpretation of the Scuderia's innovative 'flick tail mode' (FTM) exhaust before reverting to its previous specification for the remainder of the weekend.

The Brackley squad's W17 was spotted with the modified arrangement during practice, but the experiment was short-lived — the car was returned to the same layout it had raced with at Monza for the rest of the event.

What is Ferrari's 'flick tail mode'?

Ferrari's FTM innovation has been a fixture on the car since pre-season testing, and it confers a clear aerodynamic advantage by cleverly manipulating the exhaust flow. By partially blocking the exhaust outlet, the system enhances the force of the exiting gases and directs them upwards, achieving two key objectives:

• Scavenging the diffuser: the accelerated flow helps draw airflow out of the diffuser more effectively, reducing drag and improving downforce generation.
• Energising the rear wing: that same accelerated flow is used to energise the airflow feeding the underside of the rear wing, boosting its efficiency.

It is precisely this performance potential that prompted Mercedes to trial their own take on the concept in Madrid — a sign of how quickly the grid's top teams are studying and attempting to replicate the Scuderia's latest technical trick.

Whether the idea returns to the W17 at a future race remains to be seen, but the brief experiment underlines the intense development battle at the front of the field as the season pushes on towards Azerbaijan.