Red Bull engine director Ben Hodginson has commented on rumors of a possible loophole in the 2026 Formula 1 rules, stating that the team is operating on the verge of legality.

The Milton Keynes-based team is starting a new era in powertrain production with Ford in 2026, after ending its partnership with Honda. The new rules involve a complete reboot of engine regulations, giving a greater role to electric power and the use of sustainable combustion engine fuels.

There were rumors during the winter break that both Red Bull and Mercedes had found a loophole in the 2026 regulations regarding the geometric compression ratio. Other manufacturers, notably Audi, Honda and Ferrari, have asked the FIA ​​to clarify this aspect of the rules. A meeting is planned between the FIA ​​and Formula 1 Management to discuss possible loopholes and other regulation changes.

According to the information obtained, the alleged gap is related to the geometric compression ratio of the engines, which will decrease from 18:1 to 16:1 in 2026. Rumor has it that Red Bull and Mercedes have discovered a method that allows the compression ratio to remain at 16:1 when static, but increase to 18:1 during laps, which could add around 15 hp. and improve lap times.

Hodgkinson assured that the new Red Bull engine was legal, but the team, like others, was pushing it to its limits:

“I think there is some tension between the various powertrain manufacturers that there may be demanding engineering practices on some of the teams.” he said.

“To be honest, I’m not quite sure how much I’m going to listen to this. I’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s almost just noise. You really have to do your best in your own race.”

“I know what we’re doing, and I’m confident that what we’re doing is legal. Of course, we’ve reached the limit of what the rules allow. I’d be surprised if everyone didn’t do it.”

“To be honest, I don’t think it’s a big deal. I expect everyone to sit at 16, that’s really what I expect.”

The first pre-season testing will take place on January 26 in a five-day event at the Barcelona-Catalonia circuit.

Max Verstappen praised the new Red Bull car and the livery of the team, which he has insisted on updating for a long time.

The Dutch driver, along with his new teammate Isak Hajjar, unveiled the RB22 during Ford’s motorsport season presentation in Detroit. During the event, Red Bull unveiled a vibrant new look that immediately attracted attention.

Verstappen has repeatedly expressed his desire to change from the traditional Red Bull livery and now his wish has finally come true. During the presentation, the current champion shared his impressions:

“First of all, everyone is very excited, including me. The colors have changed a little bit,” said Max.

“It seems to me that this is much better. I’ve wanted this for a while, so I’m really excited. I love the glitter, I love the blue; it’s my favorite color. I also love the outline of the Red Bull logo; they’re back. Overall the design looks new.”

The important sessions of the first race weekend of the Middle East Formula 4 (UAE4) season, attended by Ukrainian driver Alexander Bondarev, started on Saturday, January 17, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The day started with a training session in which the Ukrainian athlete showed the fastest time.

After this, the qualifying round took place, where Bondarev left no chance to his rivals and won the pole position with an advantage of almost 0.4 seconds in the first session. The Ukrainian’s gap was comparable to the gap between second and seventh place.

Already at 11:30 Kiev time, the second and final heats of the stage will take place, after which Alexander will find out the starting position for the next race.