Overview
- Ferrari, Honda and Audi have lodged a formal complaint alleging Mercedes and Red Bull designed power units that meet the 16:1 cap when cold yet achieve a higher effective compression ratio in use.
- An FIA spokesperson acknowledged thermal expansion can affect dimensions at running temperature and confirmed the issue is under active discussion in technical forums with manufacturers.
- French outlet L’Équipe reported an extraordinary session with all five 2026 power unit suppliers, with rivals expected to preserve protest rights if no agreement is reached.
- Reports estimate the potential benefit of the interpretation at roughly 15 horsepower, which could translate to about three tenths of a second per lap at circuits like Albert Park.
- The FIA has separately tightened fuel‑flow meter rules, banning any device, system or procedure intended to change meter temperature and introducing a single standard Allengra ultrasonic meter supplying data to teams and officials.