The head of Red Bull Racing's Formula 1 engine programme insists the new regulations are "super clear" about what is allowed amid fury among rivals. In recent weeks there have been claims of a 'loophole' potentially being exploited by Red Bull and Mercedes in the design of their new power units for the 2026 season.

The new engines must have a maximum compression ratio of 16:1, which some engine makers took to be the upper limit at all times. Mercedes and Red Bull are said to have adopted approaches which comply with the limit at ambient temperatures, but exceed it when they heat up through running, providing a potentially significant performance boost.

And that is said to have angered other manufacturers who feel such a move could be illegal. The FIA is set to speak with all engine manufacturers on January 22 to discuss the matter ahead of the first batch of pre-season testing in Barcelona. Ahead of that meeting, Red Bull Powertrains managing director Ben Hodgkinson was adamant that Red Bull have stuck to the regulations.

Speaking in a small media roundtable, including Express Sport, hours before Red Bull's 2026 livery launch in Detroit, Hodgkinson gave the air of a man baffled that more manufacturers seem not to have interpreted the rules in the same way. "I think any engineer worth their salt who doesn't understand thermal expansion doesn't belong in this sport, doesn't belong as an engineer, really," he said.

"Almost every material changes with temperature. Understanding how materials behave in different temperatures, pressures, stresses, loads, that's literally our job, if you had to break it down as the fundamental building blocks.

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"The regulations are super, super clear about compression ratio. You've got a 16:1 limit. The regulations say that 16:1 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."

Asked by Express Sport why others are complaining if the rules are so clear, Hodgkinson replied: "Good question! I think my real opinion, I probably can't say. But the thermal expansion and how it can influence compression ratio is kind of linked to the material you would make the block out of and make the connecting rod out of.

"The regulations are really clear that the block has to be an aluminium or an iron alloy and the con rod has to be a titanium or an iron alloy. And 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."