Even before the new cars are on the track, Mercedes and Red Bull have already stirred up controversy among their rivals ahead of the 2026 Formula One season. With new technical regulations on the horizon, there’s plenty of speculation about how the grid will shake out.
Even before the new cars are on the track, Mercedes and Red Bull have already stirred up controversy among their rivals ahead of the 2026 Formula One season.
With new technical regulations on the horizon, there’s plenty of speculation about how the grid will shake out. Some teams have already put components through early tests ahead of the official shakedown in Barcelona at the end of January.
Nobody really knows where things stand yet, but there are already whispers that a couple of teams might be a step ahead. Reports suggest that Mercedes and Red Bull may have found a “loophole” in the engine regulations for 2026.
The FIA has set a compression ratio limit of 16:1 during operation, but it’s believed Mercedes and Red Bull have managed to increase this to 18:1, giving them extra horsepower over their rivals.
This hasn’t gone down well with Ferrari, Honda and Audi – especially with talk that Mercedes may already hold an early advantage in power unit performance for 2026. While those three manufacturers might be playing catch-up now, they aren’t expected to stay behind for long.
FIA Signal Move to Close Engine Regulation Loophole
Finding gaps in the rulebook isn’t new in Formula 1. Back in 2009, Brawn GP, Williams, and Toyota all gained an edge with their double diffuser design. Rather than outlawing it straight away, the FIA made it legal, and soon enough, every team had adopted the approach.
The FIA are wary of letting one team pull too far ahead for commercial reasons. Journalist Julianne Cerasoli believes Mercedes and Red Bull’s latest advantage will eventually be closed off.
“Look, I believe so,” Cerasoli said when asked if the trick would be banned on her YouTube channel. “I believe that this is the kind of solution that Formula 1 will find. Some people asked: ‘Isn’t it unfair?’ No, it’s not unfair.
“It’s what happened; it’s the pure essence of Formula 1. The FIA have already given me a hint, saying: ‘Look, someone read something in the regulations that wasn’t what we wrote.’
She added: “Why do I say that the environment is such that this will be banned over time? I don’t know when they come to some kind of agreement because absolute dominance is very bad commercially for Formula 1.
“Today there is this notion: ‘OK I want to win but I want everyone else to win because if everyone wins my piece of pie will get even bigger.’ Let’s increase the pie for everyone because my piece of pie will get bigger if that happens.”
Are Mercedes and Red Bull’s 2026 Cars Within the Rules?
With the loophole, it’s no surprise other teams are raising questions about whether Mercedes and Red Bull are playing within the rules. Their power units could end up giving their customers a real edge over the competition.
The leading theory is that Red Bull has found a way to move their piston closer to the cylinder head. Even so, technical director Ben Hodgkinson insists everything they’re doing is above board.
Ferrari are rumoured to be preparing a protest ahead of the season opener in Melbourne. Testing will reveal just how big – or small – that gap really is.
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Category: General Sports
