It was the dominant Formula 1 topic in recent weeks. Several manufacturers wanted to overturn the new engine regulations for 2026. After F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali himself floated the idea of a V10 engine with synthetic fuel as an alternative for the future and FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem jumped on the bandwagon, Red Bull and Ferrari wanted to seize the opportunity.
The two heavyweights of the premier class fought against the new power unit that is coming to Formula 1 in 2026. The electric share will increase significantly: almost half of the power is to be delivered by the battery, with the rest coming from the V6 turbo. Officially, the teams voiced safety concerns to the FIA. The longer recuperation phases could lead to large speed differences and create dangerous situations.
Other voices in the paddock, however, saw a different motivation behind the moves. Ferrari and Red Bull are reportedly behind in the development of the new engine for 2026. It is rumored that Mercedes is well on its way to delivering the best power unit, similar to 2014. Back then, the engine builders in Brixworth had designed the transition to the complex current generation power units best and had Formula 1 in a stranglehold for several years.
No changes to energy split planned
The first setback for the opponents of the new regulations came at the Bahrain Grand Prix. At a meeting of all engine manufacturers, Ferrari and Red Bull were rejected in their request to quickly reintroduce the desired V10 naturally aspirated engine into the cars. Newcomer Audi, returnee Honda, and Mercedes would not have been able to develop a different engine at such short notice.
But the opposition did not give up. They wanted to relax energy split management. On Thursday (April 24), however, Ferrari and Red Bull, who are developing their own combustion engine for the next season and are supported by Ford on the electric side, suffered their next defeat. The Formula 1 Commission rejected the proposal to change the distribution between combustion engine and battery. The plan had been to reduce the 350 kW on the electric side to 200 kW during races. The rest of the power would have had to come from the 1.6-liter V6 turbo engine, as reported by German automobile magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was angered by his opponents’ efforts ahead of the meeting. “I actually wanted to protect ourselves and not comment on it. But this is really a joke. Only a week ago we had a meeting about the engines. And now these things are already back on the agenda.” For now, the Austrian can breathe a sigh of relief. The new regulations will be given a chance for the time being.
Backdoor remains open
The official FIA statement reads: “The F1 Commission discussed potential improvements to the energy management strategy for 2026 as well as measures to address financial issues that engine manufacturers could face if either performance deficits or significant reliability issues occur in 2026. All these topics will be discussed in more detail by specialists in the appropriate advisory committees.”
With this decision, the premier class has taken precautions. Should there be major performance differences on the racetrack next year, there would be possibilities to make adjustments in the interest of the sport. If manufacturers fall significantly behind, they would likely be allowed to exceed the engine budget cap and receive more test bench hours.
