Source:REUTERS/Albert Gea
[Saba Sports News] The contest surrounding the compression ratio rules for the 2026 season’s power units is escalating within the paddock. Recent news indicates that Mercedes’ competitors are attempting to push for adjustments to the relevant regulations before the season opener at the Australian Grand Prix to close perceived loopholes. According to the new technical regulations for 2026, the maximum compression ratio for engine cylinders is limited to 16.0, down from 18.0 in the previous generation of power units.
The issue is that the current regulations only require measurements to be taken at ambient temperature and do not account for the engine’s state once it reaches operating temperature on the track. Rumors suggest that both Mercedes and Red Bull’s power systems can raise the actual compression ratio to nearly 18.0 during high-temperature engine operation, gaining an extra power and efficiency advantage. If this practice is true, such an advantage could be quickly magnified in the early stages of the new regulatory cycle.
Moreover, once the power units are finalized and certified, other manufacturers will face strict limitations in catching up, which has caused some manufacturers to feel uneasy. For this reason, the FIA has convened technical experts multiple times to discuss the issue, including before and after the Barcelona preseason tests, as well as in recent meetings of the Power Unit Consultative Committee. Among the manufacturers, Ferrari, Honda, and Audi are the most dissatisfied, pushing for a proposal to change the measurement method for the compression ratio to occur after the engine reaches operating temperature. Red Bull may also lean towards supporting this direction, as their advantage in this area is not as solid as Mercedes’.