Next year, new Formula 1 regulations will come into force, which will be one of the most ambitious, if not the most radical, regulations in recent decades.

Cars will become smaller and lighter, active aerodynamics will appear, and changes will also affect power units. The balance between electrical components and the internal combustion engine will change from 80/20 to 50/50 in favor of the internal combustion engine.

Among the changes made to the power plant arrangements was the reduction of the engine compression ratio from 1:18 to 1:16. This latest change became the cause of heated debate and appeals directly to the FIA.

There will be five engine suppliers in F1 next season: Audi (Audi), Mercedes (Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, Alpine), Ferrari (Ferrari, Cadillac, Haas), Honda (Aston Martin) and Red Bull-Ford (Red Bull, Racing Bulls).

According to available information, it was claimed that Mercedes and Red Bull found a loophole in the rules that could give their cars an advantage of up to 0.5 seconds per lap.

In this article we will tell you exactly what technical solutions the teams have come up with and how their competitors plan to counter this potential advantage.

What is the advantage

Compression ratio is an indicator that shows how many times the air-fuel mixture is compressed in the cylinder from the moment the piston is at the bottom to the moment it reaches the highest point. In simple terms, this is the ratio of the total volume of the cylinder to the volume of the combustion chamber.

While the compression ratio was 1:18.0 in the regulations introduced in 2022, this ratio was reduced to 1:16.0 with the new rules.

This could be considered a step back because with a higher compression ratio you can get more power from the same amount of fuel, potentially meaning more performance from the internal combustion engine.

Two of the manufacturers, Mercedes and Red Bull, have reportedly found a “grey area” in these rules that allows them to circumvent the restrictions.

However, this is difficult to enforce because the FIA ​​will actively check that all elements of the car comply with the regulations. In particular, the following expressions are used regarding the compression ratio:

“No engine cylinder may have a geometric compression ratio higher than 16.0. The procedure for measuring this value will be described in detail by each manufacturer and carried out at ambient temperature. This procedure must be approved by the FIA ​​technical department and included in the manufacturer’s homologation dossier.”

Allegedly, during testing they managed to make sure that at ambient temperature everything corresponded to the predicted compression value – exactly 1:16.0.

However, in racing conditions, when engine temperatures rise and materials expand, compression levels exceed acceptable limits.

It is unknown whether it actually reaches 1:18, but if so, the advantage that cars with these power plants would gain could be up to about 15 horsepower. This works out to around 0.3-0.5 seconds per lap depending on the track.

Of course, this is a significant advantage, which is why other manufacturers have requested the FIA ​​to ban the use of this technology.

And here the Federation faces a difficult choice. Mercedes and Ford Red Bull customers together make up more than half of the peloton; 6 out of 11 teams, i.e. 12 cars.

Banning their decision would mean forcing a large part of the peloton to restructure just a month before the first tests, introducing reliability and performance risks. And if this is not done, Ferrari, Honda and Audi customers’ chances of victory and high rankings will be destroyed.

At the same time, sources indicate that Red Bull, which joined this decision later, could still return to the allowed figures of 1:16.0. However, Mercedes, which has been working on this concept for much longer, will no longer have time to do this.

How will the FIA ​​decide and what will be the actions of the competitors?

As noted by the authoritative publication Motorsport, the FIA ​​plans or may have already decided to recognize the Mercedes and Red Bull concept as fully legal if it can pass bench tests, even if the compression ratio during operation exceeds the permissible value.

This situation is reminiscent of what happened with Mercedes’ DAS system in 2020; This system made it possible to mechanically change the angle of the wheels while the vehicle was in motion. Since there is no direct article in the regulation that would prohibit its use, an agreement was reached that allowed the use of the system in 2020 and promised to get rid of the system in 2021.

After that, competing teams have three possible options:

1. Redesign the engine

Audi, Honda and Ferrari could try to redesign the engine as soon as possible and introduce a new design before the start of February testing to fully comply with current standards and FIA regulations. This includes quickly making technical changes, carrying out all necessary trial tests and checking compliance with the permitted parameters to avoid losing competitiveness at the beginning of the season.

However, there is no guarantee that the team will be able to achieve the same level of efficiency and, most importantly, engine reliability in a short time. The risks are extremely high and it is unlikely that anyone will have time to complete all the necessary work on time.

Complete changes will most likely not be made before the middle of the championship.

2. ADUO

Use the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) procedure. This is a new concept that the FIA ​​has introduced into the engine regulations from the start of the 2026 season, providing additional opportunities for the development and modernization of power units. The aim of ADUO is to equalize the performance of engines from different manufacturers and prevent one from gaining the upper hand. According to the terms of the procedure, drivers who fall behind after every 6th, 12th and 18th race of the season are provided with certain reliefs, in particular an increase in the spending limit and additional testing hours.

3. Protests

​Submit protests for each race and try to prove that your opponents’ decisions were illegal during official investigations. Competing teams will most likely object to the clearly stated general clause of the rules: “Formula 1 cars must fully comply with the rules throughout the entire competition.”

This means that any deviation from the requirements, even temporary or under certain conditions, may be grounds for formal objection and sanctions.

Even so, a large-scale scandal broke out in F1 before the new generation cars even hit the track. This only raises expectations for the winter break.

Whether the advantage will really be that big, whether only two manufacturers can achieve it, and how this will affect the balance of power throughout the season; All of this makes the 2026 championship extremely interesting right now.