The FIA will hold an emergency meeting on 22 January, four days before the first test kilometres are run in Barcelona, the governing body confirmed on Saturday. The trigger is reportedly growing concern among teams over the alleged “trick” Mercedes and Red Bull have applied to the compression ratio of their power units. The meeting will take place among technical experts, and the FIA hopes to provide clarity on the new regulations.
The start of the 2026 season is drawing ever closer. Over the coming month all teams will unveil their cars, before the entire top class travels to Bahrain in February for the second week of test days. The regulations for both chassis and power unit are completely different, with the biggest change for engines being that they will be more electrified. The new power units split output almost 50/50 between the electric portion of the hybrid system and the V6 combustion engine.
The last time the engine rules were overhauled so radically was 2014. Mercedes built the most dominant power unit on the grid then, a run that delivered the Silver Arrows eight Constructors’ Championships. Rumours now claim Mercedes will again start the season with a powerful engine. That is said to be partly down to a “trick” the German team has applied to the compression ratio of their power unit. Mercedes is alleged to have found a way to raise that ratio to 18:1, rather than the 16:1 mandated for 2026, without breaching the technical regulations. Red Bull is also reported to have applied the same “trick”.
22 January — FIA to Meet on 2026 Power Unit and Chassis Rules After Mercedes Rumours
Other engine manufacturers — Audi, Ferrari and Honda — reportedly approached the FIA in response to the Mercedes rumours. The governing body now confirms that a meeting on 22 January will be held concerning “matters relating to the 2026 regulations.” “As is customary when introducing new regulations, discussions are currently underway about the 2026 iteration concerning the power unit and the chassis,” an FIA spokesman confirms. “The meeting scheduled for 22 January is a gathering of technical experts. As always, the FIA is assessing the situation to ensure the regulations are understood and applied in the same way by all participants.”
