F1 | Mercedes and Red Bull 2026 engine – Ferrari and Honda silenced: “It’s just a clever interpretation”
The so-called grey area allegedly exploited by Red Bull and Mercedes has dominated the early weeks of the 2026 Formula 1 season. However, according to Ross Brawn, there is nothing that needs to be revised or corrected.
Even before the championship has fully come to life, the 2026 F1 season has already delivered its first major talking point. It appears that Red Bull and Mercedes may have found a way to exploit a grey area within the power unit regulations to gain a performance advantage. Ferrari and Honda have raised concerns, but in Brawn’s view, there is no real issue that warrants intervention.
The “grey area” exploited by the two top teams
Rumours suggest that an engineering solution has been developed to effectively bypass the limit imposed by the new power unit regulations. The rules set a maximum compression ratio of 16:1, which is lower than that used during the now-ended turbo-hybrid era.
According to the speculation, this value would be fully respected during static inspections carried out by the FIA, but could be exceeded dynamically when the engine is running on track under racing conditions.
The key factor would lie in the materials used in the construction of the engines. As temperatures rise during competitive running, controlled thermal expansion of certain components could occur, leading to an effective increase in the compression ratio and, as a result, improved performance.
In response to these reports, rivals of Red Bull and Mercedes are believed to have lodged a formal complaint with the FIA, prompting the governing body to call a pre-season technical meeting on 22 January. The Federation has already decided not to take action against the teams, a position that Ross Brawn also appears to support.
Brawn’s comments
The former Ferrari technical director played down the entire situation, suggesting that it should not be seen as a violation of the rules, but rather as an intelligent reading of the regulations. “From the way it’s been described to me, it just sounds like a clever interpretation of the rules,” he told Sky Sports.
“It happens every time new regulations come in. For the other teams, often the best form of defence is attack,” Ross Brawn added.
As a result, for Ferrari, Honda and Audi, the only option left is to take to the track and see for themselves whether Red Bull and Mercedes have genuinely gained an advantage heading into the opening phase of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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