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| Red Bull and Mercedes are at the centre of the controversy |
F1 engine manufacturers are set to meet the FIA about the developing power unit controversy on the eve of the 2026 season.
The FIA has convened a meeting with the manufacturers and engine technical experts for Thursday amid concerns about the exploitation of a loophole in the wording of the 2026 F1 regulations.
Mercedes and Red Bull are rumoured to have found a way to run their engines at a higher compression ratio than the 16:1 limit set out in the rules.
This so-called power unit trick could have both teams a key edge over their rivals and has left Ferrari, Audi and Honda unhappy.
All three manufacturers are pushing for clarity from F1’s governing body on the matter and talks are planned for Thursday.
Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto expressed fears Mercedes could enjoy a “significant gap” at the front in 2026.
Audi technical director James Key has called on the FIA to make the “right decisions”.
“We have to, as we do, trust the FIA with making the right decisions here,” he said at Audi’s 2026 launch event in Berlin on Tuesday night.
“It’s new regs. You’ve got to have a level playing field. If someone came up with a clever diffuser and you said it’s not the right thing to do, no one else can have it, but you can have it for the rest of the year.
“It doesn’t make sense. We’d never accept that.”
"I think if it’s sort of bypassing the intent of the regulations, then it has to be in some way controlled," Key added.
“So we trust the FIA to do that, because no one wants to sit a season out if you’ve got a blatant advantage that you can do nothing with in a homologated power unit. So I think for us, hopefully, the FIA will make the right decisions.”
WHAT IS THE SUPPOSED ENGINE TRICK?
For the forthcoming 2026 season, the compression ratio has been reduced from 18:1 to 16:1.
This is a key area as the amount of compression has an effect on the pressurisation of the air/fuel mixture and the combustion process.
Mercedes and Red Bull are accused of finding a loophole in the wording of the 2026 regulations, which states that measurements will not be taken during the working cycle.
The German manufacturer, who supply engines for four teams, and Red Bull, who now provide engines for themselves and sister team Racing Bulls, have supposedly found a way to have their power units adhere to the regulations when it is tested in stationary conditions, but critically reach a higher ratio when it is running and not subject to the checks.
It has been suggested that the potential performance gains from this trick could be as much as 10-15bhp, which equates to around 0.3-0.4 seconds per lap.
- Lewis Larkam
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