Amidst reports two engine manufacturers, said to be Mercedes and Red Bull-Ford, have found a grey area in the wording of the F1 2026 engine regulations, the FIA is intent on ensuring the new season does not begin next month in Australia under a cloud of controversy.<\/p>\n
According to the FIA\u2019s single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis, the matter will be \u201cput to bed\u201d before then although discussions are still ongoing.<\/p>\n
\u2018I don\u2019t think there is any discussion of people specifically breaching\u2019<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n This year, Formula 1 has introduced a new engine formula with the sport doing away with the MGU-H, adopting an almost 50-50 split between electrical and combustion power, and switching to fully sustainable fuel.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the biggest change since 2014 when Mercedes<\/a> got a march on its rivals in the turbocharged V6 era and romped to seven successive championship doubles, before an eighth Constructors\u2019 title in 2021.<\/p>\n There are concerns the Brackley squad could do it again, amid reports Mercedes and Red Bull-Ford have found a loophole in the wording of the regulation relating to the engine\u2019s compression ratio.<\/p>\n Set at 16:1 when measured in \u201cambient\u201d conditions, the two have allegedly designed their engines such that, when at normal operating temperature, that ratio increases. Reports suggest it gives them as much as 15bhp extra, which equates to four-tenths per lap.<\/p>\n More on F1\u2019s compression ratio controversy<\/p>\n Ferrari placing trust in FIA over reported power unit loophole<\/a><\/p>\n Why Audi fears F1\u2019s 2026 power unit rules could hand rivals an uncatchable advantage<\/a><\/p>\n Formula 1\u2019s technical minds met earlier this month to discuss that situation, but that meeting went by without any verdict. After all, the powers-that-be are still trying to decide what classifies as a \u201cloophole\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly a loophole is, is a bit of a discussion,\u201d Tombazis told Racingnews365<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think there is any discussion of people specifically breaching, as such. Indeed, we don\u2019t even know what people\u2019s solutions are, so I think there is a bit of some people jumping the gun and making noise.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say the word loophole has quite a few meanings, and I think it is fair to say that there are areas in which the rules are not clear to everybody.<\/p>\n \u201cThe number one objective is to make sure this gets completely put to bed in a totally absolute black and white way before the first race, so we don\u2019t have any further discussions.\u201d<\/p>\n The new season begins in Melbourne on March 6 with the opening practice session at the Australian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Tombazis said the FIA is determined to avoid a situation where a team could protest the result of the Australian race.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the regulations are new, inevitably, there are different views about certain parts, and compared to past lives, where, let\u2019s say, things would end up in a protest and an international court of appeal or something like that,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe aim to provide clarity before, following all of the governance processes there are, but we clearly never have any control over anybody on whether they want to protest or not, but we hope to be able to provide enough clarity so that hopefully, it is not a necessary step.<\/p>\n \u201cBut of course, whether a team decides to do that, that is their business; we are still working on what the solution will be.\u201d<\/p>\n Should any power unit manufacturer face major performance or reliability deficits to rivals, however, a new system of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) could be utilised as an opportunity to close the gap.<\/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