Jan.12 (GMM) The FIA has confirmed a January 22 technical meeting with Formula 1 engine manufacturers amid growing unease over the interpretation of the new 2026 power unit regulations.
Controversy has been building around a Mercedes concept that rivals believe delivers a real-world advantage while remaining technically legal under current measurement methods. The focus is on the new maximum compression ratio of 16:1, which is verified by the FIA under static, ambient conditions.
Several manufacturers are understood to argue that, once the engine is operating at temperature, thermal expansion allows Mercedes to effectively exceed that limit in running conditions – without breaching the written rules.
In a statement, an FIA spokesman sought to downplay the idea of an emergency intervention, stressing that such discussions are routine during major regulation changes.
“As is customary with the introduction of new regulations, discussions on the 2026 iteration covering power unit and chassis are ongoing,” the FIA said.
“The meeting planned for 22 January is between technical experts. As always, the FIA assesses the situation in order to make sure the regulations are understood and applied in the same manner between all the participants.”
Behind the scenes, however, the issue is politically charged. Ferrari, Honda and Audi are believed to want greater clarity – and potentially tighter wording – before winter testing begins later this month. All three manufacturers have invested heavily in clean-sheet power units for 2026 and are wary of entering a new era with a perceived deficit already baked in.
The complication for the FIA is that Mercedes is understood to have disclosed its approach early in the development cycle and received confirmation that it complied with the regulations as written. Any attempt to outlaw the concept retroactively would be fraught.
Publicly, Red Bull has remained quiet. That is widely seen as tactical, with Red Bull Powertrains also rumoured to have explored similar ideas.
The situation inevitably recalls the start of the hybrid era in 2014, when Mercedes arrived with a decisive technical edge and set the competitive order for years.
Group testing begins in Barcelona on January 26.