Red Bull’s engine chief Ben Hodgkinson has said he is confident the team’s 2026 power unit is legal and that the recent controversy is a “lot of noise about nothing.”
Red Bull Powertrains, in partnership with Ford, have developed an engine for the all-new regulations this season, though they have reportedly found a way to deliver a higher compression ratio limit than the rules intend.
The compression ratio has been lowered from 18.1 to 16.1 but the measurements are only taken when the engine is at ambient temperature — with rivals said to be fearful that Red Bull, as well as Mercedes, can reach a higher compression when it runs at higher temperatures.
Audi, Ferrari and Honda have reportedly raised the issue with the FIA.
“I think there’s some nervousness from various power unit manufacturers that there might be some clever engineering going on in some teams,” Hodgkinson said ahead of Red Bull’s 2026 F1 car launch, per Autosport. “I’m not quite sure how much of it to listen to, to be honest.
“I’ve been doing this a very long time and it’s almost just noise. You just have to play your own race really.
“I know what we’re doing, and I’m confident that what we’re doing is legal. Of course, we’ve taken it right to the very limit of what the regulations allow. I’d be surprised if everyone hasn’t done that. My honest feeling is that it’s a lot of noise about nothing. I expect everyone’s going to be sitting at 16, that’s what I really expect.”
In F1’s regulations, Article C5.4.3 states that checks are carried out only when the engine is stationary and at ambient temperature, seemingly ruling in Mercedes and Red Bull’s favour.
Article C1.5, however, states that “Formula 1 Cars must comply with these regulations in their entirety at all times during a competition.”
