Red Bull did not swap sides in the compression ratio saga to leave Mercedes alone; it just followed the process as it wants a \u201cfair\u201d system.<\/p>\n
Formula 1\u2019s new engine formula is dominating the headlines in the build-up to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after Mercedes, and it was initially said Red Bull too, found a loophole in the regulations.<\/p>\n
Red Bull denies swapping sides in F1 2026 engine loophole saga<\/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 The loophole relates to the wording of the regulation regarding the compression ratio, which this year has dropped to 16.0. The crux is the word \u201cambient\u201d in the regulation.<\/p>\n Article C5.4.3 states: \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 Mercedes is said to have discovered a way to increase that ratio to 18:0, which still adhering to the geometric compression ratio of 16:0 when the engine is running hot under track conditions.<\/p>\n Early reports suggested that Red Bull<\/a>-Ford had also identified the loophole.<\/p>\n Rival power unit manufacturers, Ferrari, Audi, and Honda, were said to be unhappy as reports claimed the increase in ratio could be worth as much as four tenths on track.<\/p>\n More on Formula 1\u2019s engine controversy<\/p>\n Opinion: Formula 1 is undermining innovation with 2026 engine politics<\/a><\/p>\n Mercedes F1 2026 compression ratio debate nears boiling point ahead of homologation<\/a><\/p>\n But as the story progressed, Red Bull seemingly swapped sides, leaving Mercedes alone against the now \u2018gang of four\u2019, as some have dubbed the Brackley squad\u2019s rival PUMs.<\/p>\n It is understood the Mercedes HPP engine, which powers Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, and Alpine, faces a crucial supermajority vote when the Power Unit Advisory Committee [PUAC] next meets.<\/p>\n Should Mercedes\u2019 four rival PUMs, the FIA, and FOM agree to a change that PlanetF1.com understands would allow the compression ratio to be measured at hotter temperatures, Mercedes would need to rework its engine ahead of the season-opening Australian GP that begins with FP1 on March 6.<\/p>\n It is a vote that Mercedes could lose as it stands apart from its rival PUMs.<\/p>\n Red Bull, however, insists it didn\u2019t change sides \u2013 it just wants a \u201cfair\u201d playing field.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, I think we are just following what the FIA says, to be honest,\u201d Red Bull technical director Pierre Wach\u00e9 told PlanetF1.com and other media at the Bahrain circuit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just vote as a PU manufacturer to what we think should be fair for the system, and after the governance system, we choose what it will be.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m not sure we changed our mind.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just follow the process on our side. As a newcomer, we just want to be fair with the system and follow all the elements.\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed on whether Red Bull, as has been rumoured, swapped sides because it did \u201cnot know quite how to put it into practice\u201d, Wach\u00e9 sidestepped the question.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I don\u2019t know what the others are doing,\u201d said the Frenchman.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what they are doing, seriously. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s true or not. At the moment, it\u2019s just a rumour.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I was trying to put in place a system that is fair for everybody in the different operations.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, yeah, I\u2019m not expert on engines, and I don\u2019t know what they are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/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