Red Bull and Mercedes accused of exploiting F1 ‘loophole' sparking FIA review

Hodgkinson, who made his remarks in Detroit ahead of Red Bull's 2026 livery unveiling at Michigan Central Station, suggested the controversy likely carries a "political" dimension, as Mercedes and Red Bull face accusations of gaining an advantage through regulatory interpretation.

The dispute centres on the compression ratio specifications for the new power units' cylinders.

Competing manufacturers believe Mercedes and Red Bull have found a way to exploit thermal expansion, reducing the clearance volume within the engine.

This approach effectively pushes the compression ratio closer to previous regulatory limits, potentially delivering a performance advantage.

The FIA has acknowledged the concerns and confirmed it has launched an investigation into the matter.

However, the governing body has opted to keep the existing regulations unchanged for now, allowing both teams to continue with their current engine designs as the 2026 season approaches.

Speaking to the media during a conference call on Thursday ahead of Red Bull’s car launch, Hodgkinson said: "It’s frustrating, really, some of this stuff.

"For me as an engineer, it’s frustrating that the press has got hold of this. I think any engineer worth their salt that doesn’t understand about thermal expansion doesn’t belong in this sport. Doesn’t deserve to be an engineer, really.

"Almost every material changes with temperature. So it’s understanding how materials behave in different temperatures, pressures, stresses, loads. That’s literally our job.

"The regulations are super, super clear about compression ratio. You’ve got a 16 to 1 limit. The regulations say that 16 to 1 is measured in a very specific way. There’s a document that describes exactly how you measure it. And it has to be measured at ambient temperature. So, it’s super clear.”

When questioned why other teams have disputed these requirements, the engineer added: "I think my real opinion I probably can’t say. But I think there’s quite a lot of noise in the press about the fact that it’s believed that Mercedes are going to be the benchmark [engine in 2026].

"I think a lot of that talk originated from Mercedes themselves. Probably because the driver market is really tough, and they wanted to try to attract people in a car that was currently not performing.

"So, you have to sort of layer it on the political positioning that everyone has to make. And then, of course, if you say the rumour enough, it starts being believed as a fact, and then people start looking for reasons for it. So, I think that’s a bit of a theory as to how it all happened.

"But there’s a list of what you’re allowed to do. So, I don’t really understand why everyone’s so up in arms about it."

Hodgkinson, who has spent time at both Red Bull and Mercasdes, said it is still unclear who will have the best engine in 2026, but believes his team will be able to compete at the top.

He said: "I’m confident that the team I’ve built is incredible. I’m confident the facilities we have put together are going to be the benchmark. But we’re a newcomer [in terms of power units]. We had to build factories while people started developing their engines.

"So, I think we started behind. But I think the people and the facilities we’ve got are better than everybody else. So, watch this space. Will we have overtaken them by race one? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see."

Hodgkinson added that the new regulations should suit the drivers "with the most cognitive bandwidth", noting that four-time world champion Max Verstappen will gain an advantage for Red Bull.

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