FIA issue statement amid pressure over F1 engine controversy

The FIA has exclusively issued a response to RacingNews365 amid growing tensions over a supposed trick Mercedes and Red Bull have devised independently of each other with regard to the compression ratio of their new F1 power units.

The championship has overhauled its engine regulations for the 2026 campaign, along with all-new chassis rules. It is the first time since 2014 that the former area has been revised.

In order to help new power unit manufacturers, the motorsport governing body has stipulated in the rulebook that teams cannot have a compression ratio greater than 16:1.

However, it is believed that Mercedes and Red Bull have found a method that allows for an 18:1 ratio, which was the limit during the previous era.

(It is important to note: The compression ratio refers to the volume of the engine cylinders when the pistons are at their lowest compared to their highest. A higher value means more power can be created.)

Rumours suggest it could be worth up to 15bhp, which equates to around three-tenths of a second around Melbourne's Albert Park, which will host the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

With Ferrari, which supplies Haas and Cadillac, Audi and Honda understood to be unhappy with this development, a meeting scheduled for January 22nd has been called between the manufacturers and the FIA.

No protest has yet been lodged, and the meeting has been reported by other outlets to be a channel for resolving the issue.

In response to this, an FIA spokesperson has said to RacingNews365: "As is customary with the introduction of new regulations, discussions on the 2026 iteration covering power unit and chassis are ongoing. 

"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."