Some duels that took place at Suzuka continue to be discussed due to the unpredictable reactions of the batteries

F1 regulations, meeting points are being sought As reported in recent days, today 9 April was the first of a series of meetings called by the FIA ​​to discuss potential changes to the much criticized 2026 Formula 1 regulations.
The Federation, the technical experts of the teams and the engine engineers gathered at the table and the intention is to intervene on the most critical aspects of the regulations that emerged in the first three races. “It has been agreed between the parties that, although the events held so far have provided exciting racing, there is a commitment to making changes to some aspects of the regulations in the area of ​​energy management. A constructive dialogue has taken place on complex topics, especially considering the competitive nature of the parties involved,” the Federation explained. The FIA ​​plan: further meetings on 15 and 16 April During the meeting, the technical data emerging from the first three weekends of 2026 were evaluated and further meetings are expected in the next two weeks.
On April 15th we will discuss the sporting regulations and put a magnifying glass on the changes to section B, as a first step to facilitate the technical changes.
Another technical session on April 16th, in which today’s points and others that have emerged in the meantime will be discussed. April 20th will be the key day: the team principals will also be present and there will be a vote on the proposals made by the technical teams in previous meetings and a consensus will be sought on the path to follow. Finally, the Federation underlined the spirit of collaboration that emerged in this phase between teams, engineers, commercial rights holders and the FIA ​​itself.
The agreed changes will then be submitted to the FIA ​​World Council, which will meet in an extraordinary session for an electronic vote.

Bearman accident, FIA under accusation The new generation Formula 1 has been very lucky. There have been legitimate criticisms, but the situation could have been (sportingly, but not only) catastrophic if Franco Colapinto hadn’t had the reflexes of an alien at the start of the Australian GP, ​​when he had to dodge a Liam Lawson who was practically planted on the track, and if Oliver Bearman hadn’t avoided the Argentine last Sunday, perhaps on a street circuit with no escape routes. As F1 has learned in the past, hoping for good luck is dangerous and often leads to a very high bill. The FIA ​​must take advantage of the month of forced break (another assist of fate, in the tragedy of the war in Iran) to also apply corrective measures to the safety of the new cars. The Bearman accident at Suzuka, which occurred due to the high speed gap created between two cars with different charging strategies, raises an issue that can no longer be ignored. Yes, because not only the riders but also the teams expressed strong doubts to the Federation, even before the start of the World Championship. Stella’s words For McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, the danger of serious accidents was evident months ago: “We already said during the tests that there should be some aspects of the 2026 regulation on the FIA’s agenda that should be improved.” “Regarding the accident involving Oliver, it is no surprise that the approach speed is so high when one car is charging and the other is accelerating,” added the engineer from Orvieto. “We don’t want to wait for things to happen to take actions, and something happened in Suzuka. We have the responsibility to intervene with necessary and appropriate safety measures.”

What the former driver said A good month without F1. This is the epilogue forced by the geopolitical situation in the Middle East which made it impossible to race in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, i.e. the two GPs scheduled for the month of April (the material used in the tests is still at Sakhir and no one has even speculated yet whether and how to recover it). According to Riccardo Patrese, a solution to profitably exploit this far from ideal situation would be to organize a collective open-door test in Barcelona to allow the teams to work not only on the simulator on the development of the 2026 cars: “I believe that the FIA must give the teams the opportunity to carry out more tests, perhaps in Barcelona – said Patrese reached by Grosvenor Casino – the teams must be authorized to go on the track, because the simulators are ok, but if you need to test something important, especially with regards to the engines you have to go on the track.” “This break can help the teams most in difficulty to catch up – added Patrese – I hope that from May we will see a better F1 especially in which the drivers can always use the accelerator”.

Ferrari yine Mercedes’ten rahatsız Mercedes ve Red Bull motorunun sıralama turlarında elektriğin her beygir gücünden tam olarak yararlanmaya yönelik yeni hilesi, Ferrari F1’in burnunu sokmasına neden oldu. Son birkaç saatte ortaya çıkan sorun, uzman çevrimiçi gazete The Race tarafından bildirildi ve uzman ve saygın meslektaşı Jonathan Noble’ın yazdığı bir makale, Brixworth ve Milton Keynes güç ünitelerinin sıralama turlarında acil durum modundan nasıl yararlanmayı başardıklarını açıkladı. En azından yönetmeliğin mevcut okumasına göre tamamen yasal bir durum, ancak Fred Vasseur liderliğindeki ekibe göre bu, FIA’nın elektrik gücü 350 kW’tan 0 kW’a düştüğünde kontrol ünitesi için bir “koruma” sistemi uygulaması nedenine aykırı olabilir. Mercedes ve Red Bull motorunun hilesi nasıl çalışıyor Kısaca – burada isterseniz detaylı teknik açıklamayı tercih edebilirsiniz – Mercedes ve Red Bull motorlu arabalar (ve örneğin Alex Albon’un sıralama turlarındaki telemetriden açıkça anlaşılıyor), maksimum gücün sağlanmasından sonra MGU-K’nin gücündeki kademeli düşüşten kaçınmayı başarıyor ve elektrik motorunu aniden korumaya göndermeden önce birkaç saniye daha maksimum enerjiden yararlanıyor. Kurallar tarafından yasaklanmayan bir durum; ancak FIA, bu tür durumlarda kontrol ünitesine, enerjide 350 kW’tan 0 kW’a ani bir düşüş olması durumunda MGU-K’yi 60 saniye süreyle kapatmaya etkili bir şekilde zorlayan bir “güvenlik bloğu” uyguluyor: bu nedenle böyle bir manevra yarışta kullanılamaz, ancak bitiş çizgisinden önceki son düzlükte sıralama turlarında hala faydalıdır. Ferrari, Federasyon’dan bilgi istiyor. The Race’e göre, tüm motor mühendisleri bir süredir bu sırrın farkındaydı ve bunu kopyalamak için güç ünitesi yönetim yazılımı üzerinde çalışmanın değip değmeyeceğini ve nasıl olabileceğini değerlendiriyorlar. Bu nedenle Ferrari F1 takımı, Federasyon’dan, rakipleri Red Bull’a ve hepsinden önemlisi Mercedes ve McLaren’a karşı bir durma istemek değil, güvenlik nedenleriyle “hilenin” yakın gelecekte kullanımını gerçekten engelleme niyetinin olup olmadığını anlamak amacıyla açıklama yapmasını isterdi: aslında – Suzuka’da ilk çeyrekte turunun sonunda Alex Albon’un başına geldiği gibi – MGU-K’nin bloke edilmesi ve ani yavaşlama türbini zora sokabilir. ve dolayısıyla içten yanmalı motor da sürücüyü pistte durup tüm sistemi sıfırlamaya yönlendiriyor. Mercedes motorunun sırrının değeri ne kadar? Tur süresi avantajının ne kadar etkili olduğu bile belli değil. Elbette pek çok şey, her şeyden önce son viraj ile bitiş çizgisi arasındaki düz kısmın ne kadar uzun olduğuna ve aynı zamanda bitiş çizgisine giden virajın ne kadar yavaş olduğuna (ve dolayısıyla çıkış ivmesinin ne kadar önemli olabileceğine) bağlıdır. Bununla birlikte, saniyenin onda biri gibi bir avantajdan bahsetmiyoruz; her halükarda, özellikle sıkı sıralama seanslarında pole pozisyonunu kazanıp kazanmamanız (veya Q1 veya Q2’de kesmeyi yapıp yapmamanız) konusunda fark yaratabilecek küçük bir gelişmeden bahsediyoruz. Üstelik Andrea Kimi Antonelli ve George Russell’ın Suzuka’da üçüncü çeyrekte bu numarayı kullanıp kullanmadıkları bile kesin değil. Her halükarda Ferrari, Mercedes motoru konusunda bir kez daha FIA’dan cevap bekliyor.

Mercedes motoru her zaman büyüteç altındadır. Sadece sıkıştırma oranı ve iki fazlı ön kanat değil. Suzuka’daki Japonya GP’sinin ardından Mercedes motoru, sıralama turlarında güç ünitesinin elektrik gücünden en iyi şekilde yararlanmaya yardımcı olacak başka bir “numara” nedeniyle rakiplerin büyüteci merkezine geri dönüyor. Yetkili İngilizce çevrimiçi gazete The Race, Brixworth güç ünitesine sahip takımlar tarafından geliştirilen çözümü açıklıyor ve uzman gazeteci Jon Noble, Mercedes motorlarının – ama aynı zamanda Red Bull-Ford motorlarının – uçuş turundaki performansı tamamen yasal bir şekilde artırmak için güç ünitesinin “acil durum” modundan nasıl faydalanmayı başardığını açıklıyor. The Race’in keşfettiği (yasal) sistem nasıl çalışıyor Mevcut güç üniteleri aslında 350 kW’lık tepe elektrik gücüne ulaşacak şekilde tasarlanmış ve bu güç, her saniye geçtikçe kademeli olarak 50 kW azalıyor. Dolayısıyla bu şekilde elektrikli beygir gücü, düz bir çizgide maksimum itme kuvvetine ulaştığında, sıfıra ulaşana kadar kademeli olarak azalır ve yalnızca içten yanmalı motora yer kalır. Bununla birlikte, Mercedes ve Red Bull-Ford, güçteki bu kademeli azalmayı önlemenin yazılım düzeyinde bir yolunu bulmuş olmalı: The Race’e göre, aslında söz konusu mühendisler, birkaç saniye daha 350 kW’lık güçten yararlanabilecek, ardından MGU-K’nin aniden kapanmasıyla aniden sıfıra ulaşabilecek ve bu da onu kademeli olarak 0’a getiren düşüşü önleyecek. Elektrik arzının azaltılması aşamasında aslında ne zaman ne de güç açısından herhangi bir sınırlama getirmeyen yönetmeliğin izin verdiği bir çözüm. Her halükarda, bu sistemin kötüye kullanılmasını önlemek için FIA, MGU-K’nin enerjisinin aniden bitmesi durumunda elektronik kontrol ünitesinin korumaya geçmesini şart koşuyor: bu nedenle, kademeli ama ani bir azalma olmadığında, güç ünitesi artık bir dakika boyunca elektrik motorunun gücünü kullanamaz, bu da açıkça bu hileyi yarışta kullanmayı uygun hale getirmez, çünkü 60 saniye boyunca elektrik olmadan sürüş sırasındaki hız kaybı, maksimum güç mevcutken birkaç ekstra saniye ile uzaktan bile telafi edilemez. Sıralama turlarında Mercedes motorunun ekstra takviyesi Ancak sıralama turlarında durum farklıdır: Red Bull ve Mercedes motorlu araçlar aslında bitiş çizgisinden önce son düzlükte mevcut tüm gücü kullanacak, elektrikli beygir gücünün ani kesilmesine ve bunun sonucunda sadece soğuma turunda veya pite dönüşte 60 saniye boyunca “acil durum blokajına” maruz kalacak, sürücüler ne olursa olsun düşük hızda ilerleyecek ve aynı zamanda karşıdan gelen arabalara yol verme konusunda endişelenmek zorunda kalacaklardı. Halihazırda Melbourne’den yola çıkan bazı pilotlar tarafından kullanılan ve bazılarının aniden ilk sektörde durması gerçeğiyle gösterilecek olan bir “numara”. Bu durum örneğin Suzuka’da Alex Albon’da (Federico Albano’nun tweet’i aşağıda) ilk çeyrekte bitiş çizgisini geçtikten sonra güç ünitesi komutlara yanıt vermediği için defalarca gaz pedalına basarak kendini ilk sektörde durdurduğunda açıkça görülüyordu. Bu, Max Verstappen’in “aksaklık” (bu güç ünitelerinin işleyişiyle bağlantılı bir yazılım sorunu) olarak tanımladığı şeyden kaynaklanmaktadır: eğer bir sürücü bitiş çizgisinden sonra hızlı bir şekilde vites küçültmezse ve belki de başka bir arabanın geçmesine izin vermek için gereğinden fazla yavaşlarsa, o zaman motor devri aniden düşer ve turbo o kadar hızlı basınç kaybeder ki, sistemin sıfırlanması ve elektrikli itme kuvvetinin olmadığı göz önüne alındığında, başlangıçta zaten gerekli olan türbinin yavaş “yeniden şarj edilmesi” dışında yeniden başlatmak zordur. 60 saniyelik elektrik kesintisi termiği değil sadece elektriği ilgilendirse bile bazen pistte duran arabaları görmemizin nedeni budur. Bu özellik, bitiş çizgisini geçtikten hemen sonra doğal olmayan bir hızla vites küçülten, ancak fiilen bir türbin olmadan ama aynı zamanda MGU-K koruma altındayken ilk sektörde sıkışıp kalan Albon’un telemetrisinde de açıkça görülüyor.

Kapanış aşamasında ‘çifte hareket’ ufukta görünüyor “Bu aşamada kazanma kapasitesine sahip iyi bir aracımız var. Önümüzdeki haftalar ve aylarda hangi siyasi saldırıların başlatılacağını göreceğiz. Şu anda W17 kazanabilecek bir araç.” Toto Wolff, Çin GP’sinin sonunda düzenlediği basın toplantısında Mercedes’e yönelik “siyasi bıçaklar” öngörüsünde bulundu. Brackley takımının duvarındaki bir numara ‘kolay bir peygamber’ gibi görünüyor: AutoRacer.it gazetesinin haberine göre, aslında Şangay pistinde düzenlenen yarışın sonunda Ferrari, aktif aerodinamik işleyişi birden fazla şüphe uyandıran Mercedes’in ön kanadı hakkında açıklama istedi. Kanadın kapanma hareketi aslında benzersiz değildir, iki aşamaya ayrılmıştır. Ortaya atılan tez, düzenlemenin gerektirdiği 400 milisaniye içinde biten ilk hareketin, aktif aerodinamiğin doğru işleyişini kontrol etmek için kullanılan sensörü tatmin ettiği, ancak bu ilk hareketten sonra başka bir hareketin olması, sensörün elinden kaçarak potansiyel bir düzensizlik yarattığı yönünde. Kanadın kapanmasının iki aşamaya bölünmesi, frenleme sırasında aerodinamik yükün ön aksa doğru önemli ölçüde aktarılmasını sağlayarak sürücülere virajlara girerken daha dengeli ve öngörülebilir bir araç sağlar. FIA, Japonya’da Mercedes’in ön kanadı üzerinde kapsamlı kontroller yapacak ve muhtemelen kurallarda değişiklikler yapılacak, böylece kuralların 400 milisaniye içinde tamamlanması gereken tek bir hareketin ne olması gerektiği konusunda “yorumlara” yer kalmayacak.

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F1 Avustralya Elemeleri, işte süper Mercedes motoru

Melbourne elemelerinin sonucu takımın rakiplerini korkutuyor mercedes. Mesele Russell-Antonelli’nin imzaladığı ön sıra değil, daha ziyade tüm müsabakalara verilen onda sekizlik fark. Brixworth’te inşa edilen güç ünitesinin gücünden kaynaklanan bir boşluk, kış boyunca sıkıştırma oranı konusunda tartışmaların odağındaydı.

FIA, takımlarla sıkıştırma oranı ölçümünün 31 Mayıs 2026’ya kadar oda sıcaklığında yapılması konusunda anlaşmaya vardı. Yalnızca 1 Haziran’dan itibaren (ve dolayısıyla Monaco GP’sinden itibaren) biri soğuk, diğeri sıcak (130°C) olmak üzere iki ölçüm gerçekleştirilecek. Ancak günümüzün boşlukları göz önüne alındığında Lewis hamilton daha zamanında müdahale istiyor.

Hamilton’un sözleri

“Bu avantajın sıkıştırma oranından mı kaynaklandığını tam olarak bilmiyorum. Umarım durum böyle değildir ve bu sadece saf güç meselesidir: bu durumda daha iyi bir iş yapmamız gerekiyor. Eğer konu sıkıştırma oranı olsaydı FIA’nın buna izin vermesi beni hayal kırıklığına uğratırdı. Kurallarda bu yoktu ve takımıma da aynısını yapması için baskı yapacağımböylece daha güçlü olabiliriz“Bu Hamilton’un patlaması.

“Yedi yarış sürecek mi? Ama o zamana kadar sezon bitmiş olacakya da her halükarda çok puan kaybetmiş olacağız ama sıralamalarda bir saniye gerideyiz.diye ekledi.

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FIA, a high-voltage start to the F1 World Championship. The controversy over the compression ratio of the Mercedes engine has not yet subsided and the FIA ​​is already fearing the next scandal in Formula 1. This is admitted rather candidly by the great head of single-seater regulations Nikolas Tombazis, former technical director of Ferrari for a few years and a leading director of the International Federation as well as one of the “minds” behind the regulatory revolution. The Greek engineer, protagonist of a long “questions and answers” video published by the FIA ​​on its YouTube channel, explains that, due to the very nature of the new sporting and technical code which requires all teams to start from a blank sheet of paper, the chances increase that someone will be able to interpret in a particularly intelligent way some regulatory loophole or some of the inevitable gray areas of the regulation. The words of Nikolas Tombazis “Obviously – explains Tombazis – in the coming weeks and months we will not only talk about compression ratio. In the teams there are very intelligent people and I expect that they will try to find an advantage in a particular area, which means that in the FIA we will be even more vigilant in doing our checks in those areas. Perfection is when there are no discussions on any aspect of the regulation, when everything is completely as expected and without interpretations. This is our goal and that is what we want we are committed. We have made a lot of progress in this regard, but when the regulations change a lot, then many unforeseen circumstances can arise.” “We work a lot with the teams and power unit manufacturers – he adds – but each team has maybe 200 engineers and around 1,000 people working on the car, sometimes even a little more. So it’s inevitable that, among those thousands of people, sometimes someone might think of something that no one had thought of before. It’s a question of numbers and statistics and it’s impossible, when we have new rules, not to have such areas of discussion. It’s always been like that. I think what has changed is that we are determined to make this championship a competition between the best drivers, the best engineers, the best teams, but not a championship of interpretation of the rules”. “The FIA ​​wants it to be a championship of engineering skills and driving skills, but not just of those who are best at interpreting the rules,” concludes Nikolas Tombazis.

The (first) controversy of 2026 The season has not yet started when controversies are already brewing over the compression ratio of the Mercedes power unit, amid doubts and suspicions that already involve the Federation called to intervene to resolve the issue – one way or another – before the Australian GP to avoid potential consequences in court. Also admitting for the first time the existence of a problem is Nikolas Tombazis, the expert technical delegate of the FIA ​​who is also responsible for all the regulations for single-seater competitions managed by Place de la Concorde. The words of the FIA ​​technical manager In a “question and answer” video with the fans, published on the federation’s official YouTube channel, the Greek engineer explained what the compression ratio consists of, why it was decided to lower the limit from the old 18:1 to the current 16:1 and what the controversies of the last month, triggered by the article in the German specialized newspaper Motorsport Magazin, arise instead. “Of course – explains in the FIA ​​video the former technical director of Ferrari, Nikolas Tombazis, in the FIA ​​since March 2018 (after a brief and unsuccessful period in Manor-Marussia) – the engineers who work in Formula 1 are very intelligent and always try to gain an advantage. Some have found a way to potentially increase the compression ratio when the engine is hot. And this is precisely the topic we are discussing now”. The head of the Federation, however, tried to reassure the fans, confirming the intention to close (at least this) situation before the start of the championship: “We spent a lot of time with Jan (Monchaux, former Alfa Romeo and Sauber engineer, in the FIA from 2024, ed.) discussing how to resolve these problems. It is obviously our intention to resolve them before the start of the season. We don’t want controversies. We want people to compete on the track and not in court or in the stewards’ room. FIA. And that’s what we’re trying to do. I imagine that given the nature of the significant changes made to both the chassis and the power unit, we can expect the next hot topic to be in different areas.”

F1 at the gates of the revolution In the Montmeló shakedown the new generation Formula 1 cars took to the track for the first time all (or almost all) together for a very first test. Which, although very partial, provided a promising picture for Mercedes: if it is true that only the teams are aware of the work programs and therefore of the correct weight to attribute to the times, one cannot lie about reliability, and the Brackley team completed 500 laps, more than any other. The numerous mileage brought home by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli is an advantage that Mercedes will take with them into the Bahrain tests (11-13 February, 18-20 February). Added to this are the rumors about the strength of the power unit built in Brixworth, a source of controversy throughout the winter due to the compression ratio issue. And in the meantime the “fear” of the fans of the other teams is that of a new case – 2014, the season in which the power units came into force and the dominance of Mercedes began, which ended only seven years later. Tombazis’ words For FIA single-seater director Nick Tombazis, there is no risk of history repeating itself: “We have simplified the rules (for example, the MGU-H has been removed, editor’s note), and this will ensure that the variations in performance will be reduced. Furthermore, in 2014 the simulation capabilities were different, and some got it very wrong. I believe that will not be the case this year”, this is his comment to RacingNews365. “Finally, we have regulations within the budget cap that give those who are behind a little more time to develop.” The reference is also to ADUO, a concession system to help motorists in difficulty. “Do we expect everyone to be at similar engine levels in the first race? Of course not. Some will be in a very good situation, others will struggle a bit, but we have put all the ingredients in place so that they can catch up as quickly as possible,” he concluded.

FIA working to resolve the controversy FIA technical manager Nick Tombazis underlined that the Federation does not want to start the 2026 championship with the risk of seeing the Australian GP marked with formal protests from the teams regarding the regularity of an opponent. The object of the dispute is the compression ratio of the Mercedes power unit which ‘when hot’ would be able to ‘rise’ to 18:1 instead of 16:1 as required by the regulations. Currently the technical checks on this aspect of the power units are carried out ‘cold’ and the suspicion of the opponents is that Mercedes appears to be correct during the technical checks and then instead exploits a significant advantage with the engine running. According to what was reported by the newspaper The-Race.com, the coming week has two key meetings on the agenda to try to find a solution or a meeting point between engine engineers. The second FIA meeting with technical experts is scheduled for Monday to try to agree a framework for future tests on compression ratios to be carried out when engines are hot. The next scheduled meeting of F1’s Power Unit Advisory Committee (PUAC) will then be held on Thursday, where – on paper – the controversy will be raised in order to decide on possible next steps. No changes to the regulations are expected in the short term, but the FIA ​​is evidently trying to reach agreement with all competitors on a method of measuring compression ratio when engines are hot. According to rumors gathered by the British newspaper, four motorists are “well aligned” on the issue, but not all elements of the new measurement method were supported by everyone. Considering that there are five engine manufacturers involved in F1 this year (Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Honda and Audi) it is easy to imagine that Ferrari, Honda and Audi constitute a compact front. It is obvious that any change to the regulations would not gain the support of the Mercedes and Red Bull teams if there was a risk of compromising their competitiveness and it is not yet clear whether teams dissatisfied with what Mercedes and – to a lesser extent – ​​Red Bull are doing will take matters into their own hands at the start of the season and lodge a formal complaint seeking clarification on the legality of the situation.

Christian Horner warms up his engines for his return to F1 It is a completely peculiar holiday that the former Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has taken from Formula 1. Since the day after his farewell to the Milton Keynes team, which arrived suddenly at the behest of the top management of the Anglo-Austrian team after last season’s Silverstone GP, rumors about a possible return to the paddock of the 52-year-old have in fact followed on a regular basis: at first talked about Alpine, then about Aston Martin, Williams, about a hypothetical 12th team in the circus, about a move to MotoGP and even about a sensational change with Frederic Vasseur at the helm of Ferrari. And since some loves don’t end, they make immense turns and then return, the latest rumors return to the starting point, with the confirmations of a possible future in Alpine alongside his friend Flavio Briatore. The Alpine track, via Otro Capital Christian Horner has in fact never hidden his intention of wanting to return to Formula 1. However, not as an employee tout court – and, that is, in the role he had in Red Bull until his dismissal last summer – but with a key and central role in the project, purchasing shares (albeit a minority) of his next team. And it is here that the Alpine hypothesis comes back into vogue, given the desire – officially communicated – of the Otro Capital fund to sell 24% of the shares of the Anglo-French team, purchased for a sum of around 200 million euros at the end of the summer of 2023. Horner, who has long been at the head of a consortium of entrepreneurs close to him, could therefore enter the team’s shareholding structure and, then, also aim for an operational role considering that Alpine is without a team principal (Flavio Briatore himself takes care of it on an interim basis) after the sudden farewell of Oliver Oakes. Guest by Mohammed Ben Sulayem While waiting to finalize the agreement with Otro Capital and close a negotiation which Briatore confirmed is still ongoing – although the American fund is also talking to other interlocutors, which will then in any case have to be accepted by the majority shareholder, the Renault group – in the meantime Horner continues his work as a lobbyist. In fact, the former Red Bull boss went to the FIA ​​in recent days to visit president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. This was reported on social media by the number 1 of Place de la Concorde himself, who published a photo in his office together with the smiling English manager: “It’s fantastic to welcome Christian Horner to the FIA ​​headquarters in Paris. It was wonderful to see you again today, my friend”. A courtesy and business visit, with the complex hypothesis of the creation of a 12th team which remains among the objectives of Ben Sulayem, already one of the main supporters of Cadillac’s entry.

The opinion of the former driver The eve of the 2026 F1 World Championship is and will be troubled by the issue linked to the compression ratio of the thermal V6 engine. In fact, according to rumors, Mercedes has found a way to increase the compression ratio when the power unit is in operation and then falls within the parameters set by the ‘cold’ regulation when the findings are carried out by the FIA ​​delegates. According to Riccardo Patrese, Mercedes (and Red Bull if and when they manage to make this ploy work) have not violated the regulations and the FIA must not penalize them: “Mercedes and Red Bull are operating perfectly in compliance with the rules, which establish that the compression ratio must be 16:1 when cold – said Patrese reached by BetVictor Online Casino – it seems that they have developed engines that exploit thermal expansion to reach a higher and more powerful compression ratio, equal to 18:1. They have a material that can improve compression. So congratulations to the engineers for coming up with this idea, now we’ll see what happens, because obviously others are not happy with it, Formula 1 has had these kinds of problems, they’ve done a good job of finding the material that makes this work. “It’s difficult to say for sure what the advantage could be – added Patrese – just because Mercedes and Red Bull have been very intelligent, they shouldn’t be penalized by the FIA ​​for this. This is what I think. From my point of view, this is what F1 should be and always has been. It’s about having good ideas to stay in front. That’s fine with me. It’s not that they’re cheating. They just had a brilliant idea on how to make the engine work better.”

The FIA ​​decides not to decide On Thursday it emerged that the meeting between the FIA ​​and the engine engineers ended without surprises, with substantial nothing done immediately and a commitment to implement the hot measurement of the compression ratio in motion and no longer at rest, “at room temperature” as put in black and white by the regulation.
But the introduction of this sensor will not be immediate and the path to a change in the technical regulation is tortuous and not at all fast. The press review Frederic Ferret’s analysis from the columns of L’Equipe is interesting, telling of an FIA-engineers meeting that would only have “complicated things”, with the new measurement system that will be implemented with an “unknown timing”. The French newspaper then underlined “the specter of a chaotic and controversial start to the world championship”, with “Aston Martin and Adrian Newey furious over this move linked to the engine”. The risk is that an Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne could see “one or more teams” lodge a complaint. However, it is not clear whether it is only Mercedes that has found this compression ratio trick, because the Times assures that “the news leaked after some Mercedes employees left the company to join Red Bull. But it is not known whether Mercedes and Red Bull have adopted the same solution”.
The Telegraph instead underlined the confidences of a rival team of Mercedes and Red Bull, how the FIA ​​and Nicholas Tombazis “had no idea whatsoever of how much difference the offending solution could have made on the track”, adding that “it would be astonishing if some teams did not protest”.

Discussions continue on the Mercedes engine, capable of working at high temperatures at a higher compression ratio than the regulatory limit measured when cold. On January 22nd, a first technical meeting was held between the FIA ​​and the manufacturers, which was updated to a new session reserved for engine engineers. Enrico Gualtieri, head of the Ferrari power unit area, expressed his opinion on the matter, confident that the matter will be resolved promptly. New meeting scheduled At the moment the Federation has not yet decided how to intervene on the solution studied by Mercedes and perhaps also by Red Bull-Ford. During the first meeting the parties involved tried to develop a new process that allows the compression ratio to be measured even when hot and not only at room temperature, as currently required by the regulation. However, it is not clear whether the new procedure will debut already during the current season or in 2027. At Ferrari, however, the head of the engine area Enrico Gualtieri says he is optimistic that the matter will be resolved in the coming weeks: “We are addressing the issue together with the FIA and we are still discussing it with them. We have had a technical meeting and we will have another in the next few days of the PUAC, the Power Unit Advisory Committee. We place our trust in them to manage the matter in the best way, through the procedures and governance established by the regulations. We have blind faith that this process can be concluded in the next few days or weeks.”

An important meeting As reported in recent weeks, Audi, Honda and Ferrari had written to the International Federation to get answers regarding the alleged functioning of the Mercedes power unit (and perhaps also the Red Bull one).
Rumors from the paddock had indicated that some engine engineers would be able to exceed the limit of the 16:1 compression ratio at rest set by the regulatory measurements, up to bringing it to 18:1 with obvious advantages in terms of horsepower and lap time. The FIA, which was already aware of the path taken by Mercedes and had given the OK, had therefore called a meeting for today, Thursday 22 January, to discuss the thorny issue with the motorists. What was decided The preview given by Mattia Binotto on the day of the Audi presentation turned out to be correct: as explained by Jon Noble on The Race, the engine engineers and the FIA ​​have agreed on a method for measuring the compression ratio with the power unit in operation, but it is unlikely that it will be introduced in the short term.
Some sources in fact declared the meeting “productive”, but with regards to the introduction of a future measurement method. In short, for the moment no intervention is planned by the Federation. And what will happen now? The FIA ​​will begin discussions with manufacturer officials to assess the feasibility of a proposed change to the technical rules to implement the new measurement procedures.
Changes of this magnitude – whether for the current season or 2027 – will however have to pass through the F1 Commission, as The Race has highlighted. Table where Mercedes and Red Bull (especially if the latter actually used the same trick) could make a wall – given that together they supply 6 of the 11 teams on the grid.
But for now everything remains like this, with the measurement of the compression ratio still carried out with the engine at rest.

The F1 revolution is also in the petrols In the season of the total revolution of Formula 1, it is not only the power units and chassis that have changed radically compared to the past, but also the petrols. The 2026 regulation in fact requires teams throughout its application cycle to use innovative ecological fuels, the same ones that at least in theory promise to extend the life of current heat engines in everyday life. However, not without some production difficulties: according to what was revealed by the authoritative German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, the FIA ​​has in fact allowed the teams not to compulsorily use new concept petrol at least for the three test sessions between Barcelona and Sakhir. https://open.spotify.com/episode/45D12yvt3TnrjiVS4w6rCf?si=c4cd42cb1a63477c Fuel suppliers are in fact obliged to use sustainable petrol without fossil components, choosing between synthetic petrol so-called “e-fuel” and those derived from biomass, or even to mix the two types of fuel. The theoretically most innovative products are precisely the synthetic ones, created in the laboratory by mixing hydrogen atoms with carbon dioxide atoms taken directly from the atmosphere: it is in this sense that petrols promise to be zero emissions throughout their entire life cycle, because if it is true that there is combustion in the heat engine and therefore carbon dioxide reintroduced into the air, a similar quantity of CO2 was in theory taken from the atmosphere upstream, in the fuel production phase. ‘Eco’ fuels but, for now, not for everyone A very promising technology but not exactly available for everyone, at least for the moment. Not only an issue relating to costs – AMuS estimates prices for now at around 250 euros per litre, which evidently only a business like F1 can afford – but also to the difficulties in producing such large quantities of fuel in the laboratory to push the 22 F1 single-seaters in free practice, qualifying and racing for 24 GPs per year (or even for production and use for the mass market). The rationale for the exemption granted by the FIA ​​for testing would therefore be to allow suppliers to work until March before having to approve the petrol, in order to accumulate sufficient quantities at least for the first grand prix. However, it is very likely that the ecological petrols of the 2026 F1 World Championship will constitute a rather important element for improving performance: it will be essential for each supplier to make their products more efficient because as energy density increases – essentially, simplifying the concept, for the same quantity of petrol the ability to generate energy through combustion will be necessary – it will be necessary to take less fuel on board with obvious benefits in terms of weight and therefore lap time. The FIA ​​exemption on petrol for F1 tests For this reason, the fact that there is no regulatory obligation to use “green” petrol in tests does not automatically imply that teams do not use them at all. Indeed, it is expected that the teams, precisely to test the behavior of the engines before Melbourne without “surprises”, will already test the new petrols between Barcelona and the two rounds of testing in Bahrain. With the exemption, however, it will still be possible to use old generation petrol (and therefore more polluting) while still clocking up kilometers without too much anxiety, giving the F1 teams and fuel suppliers a bit of margin in view of the start of the season. However, the possibility that the exemption will also apply to race weekends or tests of the 2027 season seems excluded.

Engine case, the position of the FIA ​​After receiving a letter from Audi, Honda and Ferrari, the International Federation decided to intervene on the issue of the “trick” of the compression ratio of the power units, which Mercedes would have managed to raise from the measurement of 16:1 when cold to 18:1 in operation. Something that could guarantee the single-seaters powered by the Silver Arrows (McLaren, Mercedes, Williams and Alpine) a significant advantage, even by a few tenths. The FIA ​​has thus decided to call a meeting for tomorrow, Thursday 22 January, to discuss with all the engine manufacturers, after having initially given the OK to the solution studied by Mercedes in recent months. The Federation motivated the meeting with the desire to ensure that the regulation is understood and applied in the same way by all participants. And Audi, Honda and Ferrari are focusing precisely on this, on the violation of the spirit of point 1.5, which underlines how all cars must fully comply with the regulations at all times of the competition. But the regulations also explain in detail the measurement of the compression ratio and it is expressly indicated that it must be measured when cold, with the engine off. In short, a more than thorny case in the hands of the FIA. FIA-engineers meeting, what will be discussed The topics on the table for tomorrow’s discussion were revealed by the Audi F1 operations director, Mattia Binotto, on the sidelines of the presentation of his car.
The Italian engineer explained, without mincing words: “I don’t think that clarity will be clarified or a compromise will be reached. The main objective of the meeting is to continue to discuss how to improve or develop a methodology that can allow the compression ratio to be measured in operating conditions in the future”. Binotto underlined that the topic risks being infinite: “Today we are measuring it cold with the engine disassembled, so to find out if we are compliant we will have to wait until the end of the season. We are all trying together to develop a methodology to measure it in real time with the car running”.
So could there be any official complaints for the Australian Grand Prix? Not really, because Mattia Binotto underlined: “You can protest if you know what you are protesting against”, that is, towards a specific element that violates the rules. And in this intricate case it might not be so simple…

Niels Wittich against the FIA ​​The dismissal from the FIA ​​not only came like a bolt from the blue just before the end of the 2024 season, but is still without any explanation. This is at least what former Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich claims who, together with Eduardo Freitas, replaced the disputed Michael Masi at the start of the 2022 World Championship before giving way to the current head of Race Direction, Rui Marques. In an interview with the DPA news agency, the German sports manager also revealed some of the background to his farewell, which was initially passed off by the Federation as a voluntary resignation after the 2024 Brazilian GP. The truths of the former Race Director Wittich in fact says that he received a summons to go to Geneva on a weekend free from F1 grand prix, only discovering on the occasion of that meeting that he no longer had a role in the Federation: “In itself it was nothing unusual, because it had already happened in the past we consulted or coordinated with colleagues at headquarters, without anything happening between me and the FIA, at least as far as I remember, at the end of the meeting I repeatedly asked what the reason for this decision was, but to date I simply don’t know the reason yet.” However, Niels Wittich is only one of the many farewells of the Federation’s historic staff since Mohammed Ben Sulayem arrived, elected at the end of 2021 and reconfirmed for a second mandate – even if the election is sub-judice pending the ruling of the Paris court – a few weeks ago in Uzbekistan. “It leaves a bad taste in the mouth – adds the former Formula 1 race director – the fact that so many people have had to leave, and I’m not just talking about freelancers, but also many who have been fired from permanent positions without explanations”. The controversy with Lewis Hamilton During the interview the German then also returned to one of the themes that marked the era of his management, the ban on drivers wearing earrings, piercings and jewelery in the car which pitted him against Lewis Hamilton: “The FIA’s approach was that there was a series of rules that had to be applied. And I made sure that they were respected. Formula 1 stars are also role models for the younger generations. Clearly, none of us were particularly appreciated by the Federation and obviously other issues had priority with respect to individual performance”. “This is the disappointing truth that I was suddenly faced with. I don’t expect to get an answer even in 100 years. It was a good time, but it has come to an end,” concluded Niels Wittich.

Not even time to get on the track, as the FIA ​​is already dealing with the first controversy over the new regulations. Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains would have managed to increase the compression ratio of the engine beyond the permitted limit, fueling the debate on whether the solution was correct or not. It is yet another case of a gray area in the regulations, recurring episodes in the history of Formula 1, but for 2026 the Federation had promised a zero tolerance policy. The similarity with flexible wings The German newspaper Motorsport-Magazin was the first to spread the news according to which the new Mercedes and Red Bull-Ford engines have a solution which, by exploiting the thermal expansion of the materials, would allow the engine’s compression ratio to be increased beyond the limit of 16. This is a dispute that is conceptually different from others of the past, such as the controversy over the flow meter of 2019-2020. In that case, in fact, the regulation specified a limit on the flow of petrol valid in all circumstances, with the suspicion that it was circumvented by exploiting a gap in the control sensor, an infringement however never publicly recognised. Technical directive 039 of 2022 was also similar in this, which among many points perfected the control over the density of the plank, which the regulation already required had to be uniform for the entire length. The regulation’s approach to the compression ratio is instead closer to that for flexible wings. With the spoilers, in fact, the FIA ​​recognizes that it cannot replicate the exact distribution of aerodynamic pressure when the car is moving during static tests. It is therefore accepted that it is not possible to impose a control in actual conditions of use, which is why it is sufficient for the wing to pass the load tests with the machine stopped to be considered regular. Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images The situation is similar for the compression ratio, which the regulation states must be measured with the engine at room temperature, renouncing to monitor any alterations once the operating temperatures have been reached. Normally in these cases the FIA ​​could only take note of the literal compliance with the rule, despite violating its spirit, and possibly intervene for the following year, as happened with the DAS in 2020. This time, however, the legislators had expressed their desire to change the register. Tombazis’ warning Gray zones have always been part of the history of Formula 1. In the past the FIA ​​has often banned controversial solutions months or even a year late, both due to the difficulty in legally refuting a certain interpretation of the regulation and due to the time needed to make the necessary changes. For this reason, in view of 2026 the Federation had promised itself not to find itself in a similar situation once the game had already been played out, announcing a zero tolerance policy for anyone who had exploited a gray area without discussing it with the legislators. Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images A passage from the interview given last August to FormulaPassion by Nikolas Tombazis, director of the FIA single-seater department, is relevant again: “If a team devised a solution based on a certain interpretation of the rules without asking us for clarification, we would never listen to you. If someone developed a concept based on an ambiguous 50-50 interpretation, it would be suicide for that team” “For any clarification we are asked by the teams, if we believe that the question that was posed to us is such that it actually indicates a gray area with little clarity, we would make sure to send an identical communication to all the teams. If we take the similar case of the double diffuser in 2009, at the time there had been communications between the FIA and some teams, but not with all, therefore, there were people working with different interpretations of the regulations. At the moment, however, our absolute priority is that the regulations are understandable to everyone. The scenarios Keeping true to Tombazis’ words, valid both for the teams and for the engine manufacturers, Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains should have asked the FIA ​​for clarification on the interpretation of the regulation for the compression ratio. At that point, the Federation should have also informed the other manufacturers whether the limit of 16 should be respected in all conditions or only at room temperature, so that everyone could work on the same basis. None of this happened and now we find ourselves once again in the uncomfortable position where it may be too late to intervene. Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images If the FIA ​​decided to ban Mercedes and Red Bull’s solution, many questions would arise. It will be necessary to see, for example, how the impact of any changes on the budget cap will be managed, not to mention the whole issue relating to the evaluation of the delay of the other engine manufacturers for the assignment of the ADUO, the extra development opportunities. Whatever happens, the decision will set an important precedent, but above all it will say a lot about the seriousness of the Federation’s threats for the future.

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.

Mercedes in the crosshairs Today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport, written by Fulvio Solms, reported the latest updates relating to the case of the Mercedes thermal V6 which would be able to exceed the 16:0 compression ratio established by the new regulation, measured when cold.
These indiscretions, never denied, have outlined a picture that is more difficult than ever for the International Federation, called to resolve a rather important issue on the eve of the start of the 2026 world championship. The position of the FIA ​​The Roman newspaper explained that the Federation, informed of the Mercedes project, had initially given the OK to the solution studied by the team led by Toto Wolff.
The letter received from three of the rival engine manufacturers, however, would have pushed the FIA ​​to evaluate a different approach, first proposing to use this trick only for the 2026 season and subsequently starting a dialogue with the teams putting on the table the hypothesis of an intervention on the rules in the middle of the season, driven by the pressure of the angry power unit manufacturers. The lineups on the field On one side there are clearly Mercedes and the teams that source the power unit from them, namely world champion McLaren, Williams and Alpine.
In the opposing camp, pressuring the FIA ​​and signatories of the letter sent to the FIA, there are Ferrari (which also supplies Haas and Cadillac), Honda (linked to Aston Martin) and Audi.
However, Red Bull (and therefore Racing Bulls) remained neutral, since – according to what Corriere dello Sport reports – they have not yet been able to replicate the Mercedes solution and have no intention of starting bitter political battles as happened in the previous cycle led by Christian Horner. Clearly the team led by Laurent Mekies would like clarity on the subject, but is not worried in the slightest about the regularity of its engine. Now what will happen? According to Corriere dello Sport, a summit between engine manufacturers and the International Federation will be held on January 22nd, with the aim of resolving the issue: “Ferrari, Honda and Audi ask that the FIA ​​ban this engine as soon as possible in the season”. The hypothesis of introducing an ad hoc regulatory change during the current season is therefore on the table.

The revolution is now upon us F1 is preparing to experience the greatest regulatory revolution ever to occur in the history of the top automotive formula and there is great anticipation in seeing the new cars in action which will be different from those that characterized the technical cycle which began in 2022 and concluded in 2025. The ground effect era has put the teams faced with various challenges, but the ‘arms race’ did not concern the power units because the engines have remained practically frozen since the end 2022 to 2025. In 2026, however, the power units will be a decisive factor in determining the balance of power on the track and for this reason the FIA has studied a regulation – the ADUO – to allow engine engineers who find themselves in difficulty to catch up with those who will start off on the right foot straight away. Former Ferrari Jock Clear is enthusiastic about this new technical cycle and does not believe that it will be possible to repeat what already happened in 2014 when Mercedes and in general all the Mercedes-powered teams exploited the supremacy of the power unit created in Brixworth to dominate or experience a season above expectations. “Next year will be exciting for several reasons – said Clear reached by CasinoHawks – I hope that in 2026 the title will be awarded at the last race, the three-way fight between Norris, Piastri and Verstappen in Abu Dhabi was fantastic. In 2014 it certainly didn’t go like this and from my point of view I think that what happened in that season influenced the attitude of the fans towards these new rules as if it were a given that we will go towards a replay of 2014. I don’t think so that it will be like this, because I think the systems that have been designed to manage the performance differences between the power units are actually very good and should allow the teams to react, we are talking about it and we have been talking about it for the last year, and this is one of the reasons why the sport is in such good health, because people are talking about it, not only about Max Verstappen against Oscar Piastri or against Lando Norris in the last two races, but we have been talking about next year for a year, and this is how the sport works, with various areas. of interest”.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) made a post on its official social media accounts highlighting the recent successes of the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED).

The post stated that TOSFED, which took over the Istanbul Park track this summer, hosted the FIA ​​World Rallycross Championship with more than 22,000 spectators and the Turkish Drift Championship with more than 31,000 spectators in a short time, and that 5 million followers were reached through TV broadcasts. In the post about TOSFED increasing motor sports participation and hosting major world-class events, it was emphasized that it was great to see these successes in Türkiye.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem “We congratulate President Eren Üçlertoprağı and Honorary President Serkan Yazıcı for their success in increasing motorsport participation across Turkey. TOSFED’s commitment to increasing accessibility reflects the best of the FIA.” made the statement.

TOSFED President Eren Üçlertoprağı In his opinions shared in the post; He stated that, as a member of the FIA ​​for more than 30 years, they continue to strengthen their close cooperation with the FIA ​​and said, “We aim to expand our international event calendar in the coming years and further strengthen Türkiye’s position as a regional center serving global motor sports.” He made the statement and thanked the FIA ​​and President Mohammed Ben Sulayem for their vision, continuous support and close cooperation.

Automobile Magazine – English

How much it costs to win Sometimes you don’t think about it, but the Formula 1 World Championship also has an entry fee for participating drivers, just like any other ‘minor’ championship. Except that in the golden world of the Circus the figures circulating are not exactly those of your karting championship on Thursday evenings. According to FIA regulations, in order to register for the following season, drivers are charged a base fee plus an additional amount for each point obtained in the World Championship during the previous year. In 2026, the basic fee established by the Federation for obtaining the super license necessary to race in Formula 1 is 11,842 euros, with a supplement of 2,392 euros for each point obtained in the 2025 season. Even without being an ace in mathematics, a good calculator is therefore enough to establish how much each driver on the grid in 2026 will have to pay to the FIA ​​to compete. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, separated by just two points ahead of the Englishman at the end of last season, are the only two drivers to exceed the million euro mark: the new world champion from McLaren will have to write a check for €1,023,658 to the FIA, while the four-time world champion will pay €1,018,874 into the federal coffers. Third in the World Championship, a short distance from the first two, came Oscar Piastri: the Australian with his 410 points collected comes one step away from the million and will have to pay €999,562. The complete table Driver Pos.Points 2025Registration cost 20261Lando Norris423€1,023,6582Max Verstappen421€1,018,8743Oscar Piastri410€999,5624George Russell319€774,8905Charles Leclerc242€590,7066Lewis Hamilton156€384.9947Kimi Antonelli150€370.6428Alexander Albon73€184.4589Carlos Sainz64€164.93010Fernando Alonso56€145.79411Nico Hülkenberg51€133.83412Isack Hadjar51€133.83413Oliver Bearman41€109.01414Liam Lawson38€102.73815Esteban Ocon38€102.73816Lance Stroll33€90.77817Pierre Gasly22€64.46618Gabriel Bortoleto19€57.29019Franco Colapinto0€11.842Arvid Lindblad–€11,842Sergio Pérez–€11,842Valtteri Bottas–€11,842 Here you can find the complete list of drivers who will participate in the 2026 World Championship with their respective estimated entry costs. Naturally, the returns of Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez and the debut of rookie Arvid Lindblad stand out. For them the entry fee will be only €11,842, as they will not race a GP in 2025. Franco Colapinto will also pay the same amount: the Argentinian took part in 18 races last year, but without ever obtaining any world championship points.

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Si è svolta presso la sede
dell’Automobile Club d’Italia la presentazione del Fia Formula
Regional European Championship, il nuovo campionato monoposto
riconosciuto ufficialmente dalla Fédération Internationale de
l’Automobile (Fia) a partire dal 2026.
   
Il progetto, promosso da Aci in stretta collaborazione con la
Fia, rappresenta un’evoluzione decisiva nel percorso formativo
per i giovani piloti che aspirano a scalare la piramide del
motorsport internazionale.
   
Frutto dell’esperienza maturata in sette stagioni di Formula
Regional European Championship, la nuova serie si inserirà
ufficialmente tra i tre livelli principali della scala Fia, al
fianco di Formula 2 e Formula 3, consolidando un cammino che ha
già visto transitare oltre 150 piloti provenienti da 44 nazioni,
molti dei quali oggi protagonisti nelle categorie di vertice.
   
Il nuovo campionato sarà organizzato da Aci Sport, che manterrà
la promozione e la gestione operativa della serie, mentre la Fia
assumerà il coordinamento degli aspetti sportivi, tecnici e di
sicurezza. Tra le principali innovazioni introdotte, è prevista
una nuova monoposto di seconda generazione, conforme agli
standard FIA di sicurezza e prestazioni, affiancata da una nuova
specifica di pneumatici forniti da Pirelli, progettati per
garantire uniformità, costanza e sostenibilità economica. Il
format sportivo comprenderà otto appuntamenti distribuiti in
Europa, con un alternarsi di eventi a due e tre gare, per un
totale di venti corse stagionali. Il campione della serie
riceverà un premio economico di 300.000 euro per supportare il
passaggio in FIA Formula 3, mentre saranno assegnati punti
validi per la Superlicenza FIA, strumento fondamentale per
accedere alla Formula 1.
   
All’incontro sono intervenute autorevoli personalità del mondo
sportivo e istituzionale, tra i quali il ministro per lo Sport e
i Giovani Andrea Abodi, il commissario straordinario dell’Aci
Tullio Del Sette, il sub commissario Giovanni Battista Tombolato
e il presidente eletto dell’Aci Antonino Geronimo La Russa.
   
“La presentazione di oggi è la dimostrazione della comprensione
del percorso di crescita e apprendimento dei giovani piloti, una
rappresentazione di come si può arrivare al vertice passo dopo
passo- ha detto Abodi – A volte si pensa che le quattro ruote
prevedano il pilota come unica espressione agonistica, perché è
la punta più avanzata, ma dietro c’è sempre una squadra. Il
progetto 2026 della Formula Regional è il frutto di una
collaborazione tra FIA e ACI consolidata nel tempo. Grazie ad
ACI per quello che fa ogni giorno, e a chi lo ha gestito e
amministrato nel corso del tempo, sino ad oggi. La ricchezza del
mondo sportivo sta anche nel prevedere cambiamenti”.
   
. “La Fia – ha aggiunto La Russa – ha rinnovato la sua fiducia
in noi e poter contare sul bollino Fia rappresenta motivo di
orgoglio e prestigio. Come Aci, lavoriamo costantemente per la
crescita dei piloti italiani, che non a caso si confermano
un’eccellenza riconosciuta in tutto il mondo. Nelle sue prime
sei stagioni, la Formula Regional ha accolto oltre 157 piloti di
44 diverse nazionalità, con la partecipazione di 22 diversi
team. Numeri che testimoniano la portata internazionale della
competizione e la sua capacità di attrarre i principali
protagonisti del motorsport. Inoltre 54 piloti hanno poi
debuttato in Formula 3, 27 in Formula 2 e ben 4 hanno raggiunto
la Formula 1. Tra questi, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar,
Gabriel Bortoleto e Franco Colapinto, oggi protagonisti della
massima serie. ‘Stiamo rafforzando lo sport e i giovani talenti,
offrendogli la chiave per sbloccare il loro potenziale’ è una
frase del presidente Bin Sulayem che sento di citare, perché
rappresenta al meglio l’impegno dell’Aci”.
   
Ospite speciale dell’evento è stato Matteo De Palo,
diciassettenne romano del team Trident, allievo della Scuola
Federale ACI Sport e attuale protagonista nella corsa al titolo
Formula Regional 2025.
   
“Tutti gli step affrontati nella mia carriera, a partire dal
Kart Summer Camp organizzato dalla Scuola Federale Aci Sport
fino al Supercorso – ha ricordato De Palo – sono stati
fondamentali. Se oggi mi trovo a lottare per il campionato è
grazie alla dedizione di questi anni e al contributo di tanti
professionisti, anche di ACI, che hanno sostenuto la mia
crescita. Le aspettative per questa stagione sono chiare:
vogliamo vincere il campionato, è l’unico modo in cui
desideriamo chiudere l’anno.”
   

ITALIA

Con il Rally-Raid Portugal, riparte dopo la pausa estiva il Campionato Mondiale Fia di Rally-Raid (W2RC). Dal 21 al 28 settembre, il W2RC entra in una fase decisiva con il Rally-Raid Portugal, inserito per la seconda volta nel calendario del Campionato Mondiale Fia di Rally-Raid, che proporrà tappe in Portogallo e Spagna, per una distanza cronometrata totale di 1.433,05 km.     I Dacia Sandriders affrontano il quarto appuntamento della stagione – su un totale di cinque – con tre equipaggi, dopo aver schierato due Sandrider dotate di pneumatici BFGoodrich e alimentate da carburante sostenibile, nelle gare precedenti ad Abu Dhabi e in Sudafrica.     Questa manche segna il ritorno della spagnola Cristina Gutiérrez a fianco del qatariota Nasser Al-Attiyah e del francese Sébastien Loeb. Penultimo appuntamento del Campionato Mondiale Fia di Rally-Raid 2025, il Rally-Raid Portugal prevede prove speciali su terra all’altezza del Campionato Mondiale. Il percorso, lungo 2.368,97 km, di cui 1.433,05 cronometrati, è stato modificato dalla prima stagione del 2024.     L’evento partirà da Grândola, situata 100 km a sud di Lisbona, il 23 settembre con un prologo. La prima tappa, che si correrà il 24 settembre, porterà gli equipaggi a Beja, con un tratto sabbioso negli ultimi 30 km prima di tornare al bivacco.     La tappa 2, prevista per il 25 settembre, sarà la più lunga del rally con 649,98 km e porterà gli equipaggi fino a Badajoz in Spagna. Si proseguirà il 26 settembre, in Spagna, su un terreno simile a quello del primo giorno. Il 27 settembre, infine, si tornerà in Portogallo con un bivacco a Lisbona, prima del loop finale del 28 settembre.     Dopo la vittoria di Abu Dhabi e il podio conseguito in Sudafrica, i Dacia Sandriders si presentano alla partenza del Rally-Raid Portugal in seconda posizione nella classifica Costruttori e in testa alla classifica Piloti e Navigatori grazie a Nasser Al-Attiyah ed Édouard Boulanger. Per il resto del Campionato 2025 e in previsione del Rally Dakar 2026, Édouard Boulanger sarà il navigatore di Sébastien Loeb, mentre il belga Fabian Lurquin affiancherà Nasser Al-Attiyah. 

ITALIA