Red Bull's engine chief, Ben Hodgkinson, has expressed confidence in the legality of the team's 2026 Formula 1 power unit, dismissing recent controversy as "a lot of noise about nothing." The team, in partnership with Ford, is developing an engine for the new regulations, but rivals, including Audi, Ferrari, and Honda, have reportedly raised concerns with the FIA regarding Red Bull's potential to achieve a higher compression ratio than intended. While regulations specify a compression ratio limit of 16.1 (down from 18.1) measured at ambient temperature, rivals fear Red Bull and Mercedes might exceed this when the engine operates at higher temperatures.
Hodgkinson acknowledged that "clever engineering" might be occurring among teams but stated his confidence in Red Bull's compliance, emphasizing that they are pushing the limits of the regulations, as he expects other teams are doing. He anticipates all teams will be operating at the 16.1 compression ratio limit.
The F1 regulations include an article (C5.4.3) that specifies measurements are taken at ambient temperature, seemingly favoring Red Bull and Mercedes, but another article (C1.5) mandates compliance at all times during a competition.