Max Verstappen has distanced himself from the debate around the F1 2026 power units ahead of a planned FIA meeting this week.<\/p>\n
Even before the first laps have been turned in anger this season, there is controversy in the Formula 1 paddock with some engine manufacturers, reportedly Red Bull and Mercedes, said to have found a technical loophole that would give them an advantage over the chasing pack.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen: I drive the car<\/p>\n
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Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Formula 1\u2019s engine regulations are changing this season, with a new power unit formula that runs on sustainable fuel with an increase in the electrification that sees the engines powered in a 50\/50 split with the internal combustion engine.<\/p>\n But ahead of the opening behind-closed-doors test in Barcelona on 26 January, there are reports that some manufacturers may have found a loophole in the wording of the regulations.<\/p>\n One of those is said to be Red Bull, who this season has designed their own in-house power unit with its Red Bull Powertrains division with input from Ford.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an argument that Verstappen is not willing to get into, after all, he is just the race-car driver.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s impossible to know,\u201d he told Bloomberg of the engine controversy when asked about its impact.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, everyone is just trying everything they can.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom our side, and especially from my side, I mean, I have to focus on the driving, I\u2019m not there to be the engine technician and explain everything in detail to you.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s also something between the FIA and the engine manufacturers to sort out.<\/p>\n \u201cI drive the car, and I trust that, from our side, we always try to do our very best to get the most performance out of the engine.\u201d<\/p>\n More on F1\u2019s new 2026 engine regulations<\/p>\n Explained: F1\u2019s complex power unit upgrade system<\/a><\/p>\n Explained: How F1\u2019s new \u2018overtaking mode\u2019 will work in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n A controversial beginning to the all-new F1 2026 engine regs?<\/p>\n Formula 1 teams are well known for finding the grey areas in the regulations, hiring the brightest technical \u2013 and legal \u2013 minds to do just that.<\/p>\n It means even though Formula 1\u2019s powers-that-be believe they closed all the loopholes, some engine manufacturers have reportedly found already found one.<\/p>\n Article C.5.4.3. of the 2026 Technical Regulations states that: \u201cNo cylinder of the engine may have a geometric compression ratio higher than 16.0.<\/p>\n \u201cThe procedure to measure this value will be detailed by each PU Manufacturer and executed at ambient temperature.<\/p>\n \u201cThis procedure must be approved by the FIA Technical Department and included in the PU Manufacturer homologation dossier.\u201d<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s being reported that the wording has resulted in two of the power unit manufacturers, reportedly Red Bull<\/a> Powertrains and Mercedes, interpreting this as ensuring this compression ratio is met when being measured in ambient conditions, but otherwise running at a higher ratio when on track, potentially resulting in slightly higher power output.<\/p>\n The FIA is set to meet with technical experts later this week to address the differing interpretations of wording.<\/a><\/p>\n Red Bull Powertrains director Ben Hodgkinson spoke about the ratio when the team revealed its livery for the F1 2026 season, adamant that while Red Bull was on the \u201cvery limit\u201d, he is confident it is legal.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s some nervousness from various power unit manufacturers that there might be some clever engineering going on in some teams,\u201d Hodgkinson said at the team\u2019s season launch in Detroit.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not quite sure how much of it to listen to, to be honest. I\u2019ve been doing this a very long time, and it\u2019s almost just noise. You just have to play your own race really.<\/p>\n \u201cI know what we\u2019re doing, and I\u2019m confident that what we\u2019re doing is legal. Of course, we\u2019ve taken it right to the very limit of what the regulations allow. I\u2019d be surprised if everyone hasn\u2019t done that.<\/p>\n \u201cMy honest feeling is that it\u2019s a lot of noise about nothing. I expect everyone\u2019s going to be sitting at 16, that\u2019s what I really expect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a purely technical point of view the compression ratio limit is too low,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the technology to make the combustion fast enough, so the compression ratio is way too low. We could make 18:1 work with the speed of combustion that we\u2019ve managed to get, which means there\u2019s performance in every tenth of a ratio that you can get.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery manufacturer should really be aiming at 15.999 as far as they dare when it\u2019s measured.\u201d<\/p>\n The F1 2026 season marks the first championship that Red Bull, and sister team Racing Bulls, will be powered by its own in-house engine created by Red Bull Powertrains.<\/p>\n Verstappen has made it clear that only \u201ctime will tell\u201d how the Milton Keynes squad performs.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, we don\u2019t know,\u201d he added to Sky Sports News. \u201cThe only thing that I do know is that everyone is giving it everything that they have.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are trying to push ahead. We\u2019re really trying to maximise everything, but it\u2019s not going to be easy. We know that.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n