F1 engine dispute: FIA confirms mid-season rule change to power-unit regulations and tweak to qualifying format

The FIA has confirmed a mid-season rule change will be made following Formula 1's engine dispute, with a new test being introduced from June.

The build-up to the new 2026 season, which begins in Melbourne next weekend, has led to potential loopholes being exploited, with Mercedes in the spotlight after rival teams claimed they have found a way around engine compression ratio limits.

As part of F1's biggest regulation changes ever, the compression ratio limit has been lowered from 18.0 under the previous ruleset to 16.0, but measurements are currently only taken when the engine is not running at full temperature, with Mercedes being believed by teams to be exploiting this which could give them a competitive advantage.

However, the FIA has announced a new test will take place from June 1 when the engine ambient temperature is at 130 degrees.

Seven races are scheduled before the new test is introduced, with 17 rounds on the calendar from June onwards.

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The FIA said "some aspects of the amendments were concurrently approved unanimously by the Formula 1 power unit manufacturers". F1's engine manufacturers are Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull-Ford, Audi and Honda.

"The modifications to the technical regulations follow the pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain and extensive feedback received from drivers and teams," said the FIA.

"A significant effort has been invested in finding a solution to the topic of the compression ratio. This parameter, which was one of the key fundamental targets of these regulations in order to attract newcomers to the sport, is limited in the regulations to 16:1, measured in cold conditions.

"The FIA has worked to find a compromise solution which determines that the compression ratio will be controlled in both hot and cold conditions from June 1 2026, and subsequently only in the operating conditions (130deg C) from 2027 onwards.

"The regulations introduced for 2026 represent one of the biggest changes in recent memory. All parties acknowledge that with the introduction of such significant regulatory changes, there are collective learnings to be taken from pre-season testing and the initial rounds of the 2026 championship.

"Further evaluation and technical checks on energy management matters are ongoing."

F1's governing body confirmed that from the new test "any component, assembly, mechanism, or integrate arrangement of components that is designed or functions to in ratio in operating conditions beyond 16.0 is prohibited".

Will this impact the pecking order?

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated before F1's two pre-season tests in Bahrain that a change to the power-unit regulations could be "quite damaging for the performance".

But, during the final Bahrain test, Wolff softened his stance and said Mercedes would be "pretty comfortable" if a team protested their engine at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix - a scenario that now seems highly unlikely given a resolution appears to have been found.

He added: "We said it all along that this looks like a storm in a teacup, the whole thing, and numbers were coming up that were… if these numbers would have been true, I absolutely understand why somebody would fight it, but eventually, it's not worth the fight.

"It doesn't change anything for us, whether we stay like this or whether we change to the new regulations, and that's been a process.

"But we also want to be good citizens in the sport because it doesn't make a big difference we then changed opinion."

In January, when the engine saga was first reported, Red Bull engine chief Ben Hodgkinson said it was "a lot of noise about nothing" and had sided with Mercedes against the other three engine manufacturers - Ferrari, Audi and Honda.

However, Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey told Sky Sports News in February that "everybody is aligned bar one manufacturer". Newey did not name Mercedes, but the stance Wolff has taken suggests Red Bull had changed their stance.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said: "Sometimes it was felt that we were not so sure where Red Bull was standing. At least that's what I was reading, listening to you guys.

"The simple truth is that we don't really mind if the regs goes left or if the regs goes right."

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said "I don't think this topic ever needed to get to the level of attention" that it has over the off-season.

He said: "I don't think that we are anywhere near the levels of performance that was stated, and certainly there was no cheat or anything like that, or no allegation of anybody being illegal.

"It is just a matter whether that was an intent of the regulation, and, as new regulations currently enforce, there will be this, but there will be other little topics that we will need to resolve going forward, and the approach will try to be even-handed.

"Each time that we follow something, I'm sure there will be people that are unhappy that we're not acting soon enough, and there will be people who are unhappy that we are not letting things by, and part of our job is to try to keep that on a on a sort of balanced way."

Qualifying rule tweak announced and no mandatory Monaco pit stops

Also on Saturday, the FIA revealed Q3 will increase from 12 minutes to 13 minutes from this season.

Qualifying will still be scheduled for one hour as to compensate the minor change, the interval between Q2 and Q3 will be reduced from eight to seven minutes.

Newcomers Cadillac join the F1 grid this year, so there will be 11 teams in the field, and it means the bottom six cars in Q1 and Q2 will be eliminated, rather than five.

Last year's mandatory two pit stops at the Monaco Grand Prix has been shelved, so the race will have the same regulations as the other grand prix when it takes place at the later-than-usual date of June 7.

Sky Sports F1's Australian GP schedule

Thursday March 5
3am: Drivers' Press Conference
6am: Paddock Uncut
9.45pm: F3 Practice
10.55pm: F2 Practice

Friday March 6
1am: Australian GP Practice One (session starts at 1.30am)*
2.55am: F3 Qualifying*
3.30am: Team Bosses Press Conference
3.50am: F2 Qualifying*
4.35am: Australian GP Practice Two (session starts at 5am)*
6.15am: The F1 Show*

Saturday March 7
0.10am: F3 Sprint*
1.10am: Australian GP Practice Three (session starts at 1.30am)*
3.05am: F2 Sprint*
4.10am: Australian GP Qualifying build-up*
5am: AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*
7am: Ted's Qualifying Notebook*
9.45pm: F3 Feature Race*

Sunday March 8
12.20am: F2 Feature Race*
2.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX*
6am: Australian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
7am: Ted's Notebook*
7.55am: Australian GP race replay*
10am: Australian GP highlights (also on Sky Showcase)*

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Watch every race of the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

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