2010
F-duct
McLaren · MP4-25
Regulation amendmentVerified — secondary source
- Legal when raced
- Yes
- Closed
- 2011
- Survived
- 1 season
- Article
- 3.2.2
What was exploited
A driver-operated air path that stalled the rear wing on the straights. The driver covered a hole in the cockpit with a leg or hand, redirecting airflow through a duct to separate flow over the rear wing and cut drag.
The gap in the rulebook
A driver's leg is not a movable aerodynamic device. Nothing in the car moved.
What it was worth
Straight-line speed without a corresponding cornering-downforce penalty. Copied field-wide within the season.
How it was closed — Regulation amendment
Banned for 2011 on safety grounds and replaced with DRS — a sanctioned, electronically controlled movable element. Later codified in Article 3.2.2's driver-movement clause.
Why it matters
The ban created DRS. F1 prohibited driver-commanded movable aerodynamics for 42 years, then legalised a single rear element in 2011 precisely because it could not police the unsanctioned version.