Formula 1 loophole found?
“Background noise”: Red Bull reacts to suspected cheating
January 16, 2026 – 6:32 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The new Formula 1 season begins in March with completely new regulations. Red Bull is already being accused of cheating. The racing team reacts.
Red Bull has responded to the massive cheating allegations made by Ferrari, Honda and Audi against Max Verstappen’s team. “I know that there will be a lot of media coverage about this. I will therefore prefer to hold back – also because the discussions have not yet been concluded,” explained Ben Hodgkinson, the technical director and co-developer of the new engine, to “Motorsport Magazin”.
Red Bull and Mercedes are being criticized because they are said to have found a loophole in the newly revised engine regulations. It’s about the compression ratio of the cylinders in the new engine. It is the aspect ratio that is measured in the cylinder when the piston is at the bottom and at the top. This ratio arises while the engine is working and can be 16:1 in the new regulations. So far it has been 18:1.
The crux of the matter: The ratio is taken from the Fia in a static state. Mercedes and Red Bull are said to have developed engine parts that expand during the race and allow a compression ratio of 18:1 again. An advantage of up to 15 hp is feared, which could amount to three tenths of a second per lap – a huge advantage in the premier motorsport class.
Regarding the allegations, Hodgkinson added that there was no room for interpretation: “The regulation on the compression ratio states that it is measured at ambient temperature.” He therefore continues to leave room for speculation and added that he would be surprised if every team wasn’t looking for an advantage and wanted to get as close as possible to the 15.999 compression ratio.
“I think some engine manufacturers are nervous that certain teams may have clever engineering solutions at play,” Hodgkinson said, describing the speculation surrounding the alleged trick as “background noise.”
All teams will have their first insights in just a few days. From January 26th to 30th, the premier motorsport class will be testing behind closed doors at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona.
