Overview
- The FIA confirmed a pre-planned meeting of technical experts before Barcelona testing to align interpretations of the 2026 power-unit regulations.
- Reporting indicates Mercedes, and to a lesser extent Red Bull Powertrains, can pass ambient static checks yet achieve higher effective compression ratios at operating temperature.
- Ferrari, Honda and Audi have lodged formal objections, citing the rule that cars must comply with regulations at all times during competition.
- The governing body says the session also covers chassis topics and that the current static measurement procedure remains in place for now.
- Some estimates suggest a gain of about 15 bhp from higher running ratios, and significant regulatory changes are viewed as unlikely before mid-season or 2027, with the ADUO mechanism offering upgrade relief for lagging suppliers.