Is Ferrari the culprit for the FIA's exhaust blowing clampdown?

The FIA has ramped up its scrutiny of exhaust blowing in F1, and reports are suggesting that Ferrari's SF71-H may be at the basis of the clampdown.

Nikolas Tombazis, the head of single seater technical matters for the FIA, sent teams a note reiterating the governing body's stance on exhaust blowing, reminding competitors that it would not tolerate trick engine modes that help blowing of a car's rear wing.

Spain's Marca is reporting that Ferrari's SF71-H caught the FIA's attention in China for sounding “different” in Shanghai's corners.

"There are suspicions the SF71H is using special engine maps that blow exhaust to the rear wing of the car," wrote correspondent Marco Canseco.

• The FIA doubles down on exhaust blowing scrutiny

Renault was also believed to be in the FIA's line of sight for its angled exhaust aimed at the rear wing of the team's R.S.18. But the French manufacturer insists the rear layout of its 2018 car conforms with the technical rules.

Ferrari's engine maps are now reportedly under scrutiny by Tombazis, who coincidentally worked as a designer for the Scuderia before moving to the FIA.

"We do not accept engine maps that are specifically designed to increase the flow of exhaust in corners," he wrote in a letter.

"To be permissible, such flows should correspond with maps that actually increase the performance of the power unit."

Marca also reports that the mysterious third paddle that has appeared on the steering wheel of championship leader Sebastian Vettel is also the subject of the FIA's scrutiny.

Its presence was noted in Bahrain and has fueled speculation that it serves the purpose of altering a specific setting on the Ferrari.

Queried on the matter, the Scuderia is mum on the element's precise function but the team denied however that it was being used to change engine map settings.

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