We're a couple of months away from the start of the F1 2026 season, but tensions in the paddock are already rising. It was recently revealed that Mercedes and Red Bull Racing have supposedly found a loophole in the regulations that could give their respective engines a major advantage.
Work on the new 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid engines (which boast an increased electrical output of 350 kW) has been underway for years, and a clever interpretation of the rules looks set to give the two Championship-winning teams the edge in Australia this March.
The FIA has reduced the compression ratio of the internal combustion engine from 18.0 to 16.0 to limit performance and improve efficiency. However, multiple outlets have reported that Mercedes, for example, has figured out a way to exceed the 16:1 compression ratio when the engine is running at full operating temperature, helping reach values close to 18:1, without breaking the rules.
That's because the FIA checks the compression ratio when the engine is cold; so, during racing conditions, the thermal expansion of certain components inside the engine leads to a higher compression ratio on the track than during checks. That could be worth as much as four-tenths of a second per lap, a significant gain in F1, given that margins are typically measured in hundredths of a second.
In other words, if Mercedes and Red Bull Racing both have this advantage, then it could make all the difference to qualifying, race wins, and by extension, the Championship itself.
Other teams are said to be extremely unhappy, including Ferrari. Ultimately, it's simply too late for Mercedes—and possibly Red Bull—to change their respective engines. Plus, as this innovation is a loophole and not a rule break, neither Mercedes nor Red Bull is technically doing anything wrong.
It will be down to the FIA to decide whether to tighten up the rules heading into the 2027 season or to allow all teams to see if they can crack the code that may put Mercedes and Red Bull at the front of the pack this year.
However, Aston Martin could be right there alongside them. According to Grada3, fuel supplier Aramco—a title sponsor for the Lawrence Stroll-owned team—has created a new fuel composition that will greatly benefit the Aston Martin car heading into the 2026 season.
In fact, it would provide enough of an advantage to mitigate the supposed 0.4-second advantage that Mercedes and Red Bull stand to gain from their rumoured engine compression solution. Throw in the fact that Aston Martin now has a Honda engine and the technical expertise of Andy Cowell and Adrian Newey, and it's looking increasingly likely that the team will be a top contender this year.
If so, could that mean one final World Championship for Fernando Alonso before his long-rumoured retirement, or might we be looking at a maiden win for Lance Stroll? Only time will tell, but it's clear that these new regulations are going to shake up the sport in surprising and unexpected ways.