Power unit case, FIA confirms: meeting with engine engineers on 22 January

Engine case, team in conversation with the FIA ​​Today, with the Audi shakedown, the action on the track of the new Formula 1 began, revolutionized by the regulations that involved the entire car, from the chassis to the engine. When starting from the classic “blank sheet of paper” it is usual for teams to play with the interpretation of the rules, something that Mercedes would have done this winter with the cylinder compression ratio that the new regulations establish at 16.0 with cold measurement. The Brackley team, which would increase this ratio to 18.0 with the engine running but remaining within the “cold” parameters, has been accused by the competition. Ferrari, Audi and Honda have already sent a letter to the FIA ​​in which they ask to ban this engine, invoking point 1.5 of the technical regulations which underlines that the cars must be fully compliant at all times during the competition. The Federation, after claiming to monitor the issue, took the initiative by calling a meeting with all motorists: the meeting, as we anticipated, will be held on Thursday 22 January. An FIA spokesperson confirmed the meeting with power unit suppliers to RacingNews365: “As usual with the introduction of new regulations, discussions regarding 2026 regarding power units and chassis are underway. The meeting scheduled for January 22nd is between technical experts. As always, the FIA ​​evaluates the situation to ensure that the Regulations are understood and applied equally by all participants.” The Federation, informed of Mercedes’ project, had initially given the OK to the solution studied by the Brackley team but now seems to be evaluating different approaches, considering the protests of the competition, first proposing to use the trick only for 2026 and subsequently hypothesizing an intervention on the rules during the current season. In any case, not the most linear way to start this technical cycle.