Overview
- Reports allege Mercedes and, to a lesser extent, Red Bull Powertrains have designs that pass static checks yet yield higher effective compression in operation.
- Rivals Audi, Ferrari and Honda have asked the FIA to clarify enforcement or bar such approaches, citing the requirement to comply at all times during competition.
- Article C5.4.3 mandates measuring the geometric compression ratio under static, ambient conditions with FIA‑approved procedures, which conflicts in practice with Article C1.5.
- The Jan. 22 session, described by the FIA as a routine experts’ meeting, will also cover 2026 chassis topics, with compression testing expected to dominate discussion.
- Immediate rule changes are considered unlikely, with potential enforcement tweaks after initial tests and broader revisions more plausible later in 2026 or for 2027; media estimates of any gain vary, and the ADUO mechanism could offset early imbalances.