Innovation or illegality? Former Ferrari engineer on the 2026 F1 engine row. Former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola analyzes the 2026 F1 engine gray area.

Former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola has analyzed the ongoing developments surrounding engines for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

In recent days, several details have emerged regarding the new engines for the 2026 F1 season. With the regulatory changes, teams have had to rethink not only the aerodynamic aspects of their cars but also the entire power unit to adapt to the new rules. Some teams, however, seem to have exploited a gray area. The names that have emerged are Mercedes and Red Bull. Former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola, speaking on NewsF1 Motorsport and Automotive’s YouTube channel Ruota Libera, made a clear distinction between a gray area and an irregularity.

The engine issue

Luigi Mazzola explained: “This gray area is legal because if you aren’t legal, you get disqualified and make a fool of yourself. The gray area itself is a legal zone, and congratulations to anyone who can identify and use it effectively.”

Suspicions have focused particularly on Mercedes and Red Bull following reports from Motorsport Magazin. At the heart of the debate is the “compression ratio,” a parameter concerning the internal combustion engine. The two teams appear to have bypassed part of the regulations while remaining within a legal framework. Luigi Mazzola added in the YouTube video: “So as long as the ambient temperature is correct, you are within the rules. The rule is restrictive enough in that regard. The more you pile rule upon rule, the more you get entangled in an almost impossible situation to maneuver.”

For Luigi Mazzola, if the reports are accurate, this would not be a scandal but rather a demonstration of the team’s skill: “I’m not shouting scandal, on the contrary, I say well done if you managed it.”

As the 2026 Formula 1 season approaches, the battle between the FIA’s rule-makers and the teams’ engineers is intensifying. While the governing body attempts to close every possible loophole, historical innovators like Mercedes and Red Bull continue to find the “gray areas” that define the cutting edge of motorsport performance. Whether the FIA will intervene with a technical directive before the engines hit the track remains to be seen.