The current pre-season controversy over power units has seen Ferrari, Audi and Honda complain to the FIA
Red Bull’s F1 engine boss Ben Hodgkinson insists he is “frustrated” and cannot comprehend why a row over the new regulations has broken out ahead of the 2026 season.
A divide between the five engine manufacturers has already emerged, seven weeks before the first race in Australia and just over a week before 11 teams are due at the first pre-season test in Barcelona. Ferrari, Audi and Honda have complained to the FIA (F1’s governing body) about Mercedes and Ferrari finding a “loophole” in the new set of regulations.
The matter in question concerns the compression ratio of the internal combustion engine, specifically the ratio between the cylinder’s maximum and minimum volume. The rules mandate a 16:1 ratio, measured at “ambient temperature” while the car is stationary, but Mercedes and Red Bull are believed to be exploiting thermal expansion, which would lead the compression ratio to be closer to the old 18:1 regulation while running on track.
Speculation is rife that such an advantage could help teams by up to 0.3 seconds per lap and, as such, the other three engine manufacturers have written to the FIA insisting a ratio higher than the 16:1 figure mandated would be against the rules. The FIA are reviewing the situation, with a meeting set for Thursday 22 January.
Hodgkinson’s view, however, was firm as he spoke ahead of Red Bull’s 2026 livery launch on Thursday: “It’s frustrating, really, some of this stuff. For me as an engineer, it’s frustrating that the press has got hold of this.
“I think any engineer worth their salt that doesn’t understand about thermal expansion doesn’t belong in this sport [and] doesn’t deserve to be an engineer, really.
“Almost every material changes with temperature. So it’s understanding how materials behave in different temperatures, pressures, stresses, loads. That’s literally our job.
“The regulations are super, super clear about compression ratio. You’ve got a 16:1 limit. The regulations say that 16:1 is measured in a very specific way. There’s a document that describes exactly how you measure it. And it has to be measured at ambient temperature. So, it’s super clear.”
Hodgkinson, who has been an F1 engineer for 27 years and previously spent two decades at Mercedes before moving to Red Bull Powertrains in late 2022, added that there was a “political” element to the current dispute.
“There’s quite a lot of noise in the press about the fact that it’s believed that Mercedes are going to be the benchmark [team this season],” he said. “I think a lot of that talk originated from Mercedes themselves.
“Probably because the driver market is really tough, and they wanted to try to attract people in a car that was currently not performing. So, you have to sort of layer it on the political positioning that everyone has to make.
“And then, of course, if you say the rumour enough, it starts being believed as a fact, and then people start looking for reasons for it. So, I think that’s a bit of a theory as to how it all happened.
“But there’s a list of what you’re allowed to do. So, I don’t really understand why everyone’s so up in arms about it.”
Red Bull are building their own power unit for the first time, partnering with American automotive giant Ford, in a project which has involved the building of three factories in four years and the hiring of 700 people.
Despite 2026 being their debut year as an engine manufacturer, Hodgkinson believes delivering a competitive car to star driver Max Verstappen is a possibility.
“I don’t think you belong in this industry if you don’t believe you can do it,” Hodgkinson said, in a conference call with British outlets on Thursday. “That is clearly the target. But if you show me a confident engineer, I’ll show you one that’s about to lose.
“A lot of that talk [Mercedes being the frontrunners] originated from Mercedes themselves. My gran used to say an empty can rattles the loudest. I just want to get my head down and get on with it.
“You have to assume you’re behind so that you always push to the absolute maximum. I’m confident that the team I’ve built is incredible. The people and the facilities we’ve got are better than everybody else. Watch this space… it’s going to be an interesting season.”
Category: General Sports
