On January 22, the FIA will convene engine specialists.

      At the end of last year a controversial situation arose when it emerged that Mercedes and Red Bull had taken advantage of a loophole in the 2026 regulations to improve engine performance and restore the compression ratio to the 2025 value — 18:1 instead of the 16:1 allowed in 2026. Later the FIA stated that they had no complaints against those manufacturers, since the regulatory requirements were met and the compression ratio at ambient temperature corresponded to the required value when the measurement methodology was followed. This position by the FIA raised questions from Ferrari, Audi and Honda — they asked for clarification because, in their view, any engine operating with a compression ratio above 16:1 could be illegal, which would formally allow a protest to be lodged after the very first race of the season. The protest would be based on paragraph C1.5 of the Formula 1 technical regulations, which states that cars must comply with the rules "at all times during the event." In response to the letter from Ferrari, Audi and Honda, the FIA decided on January 22 to gather all manufacturers to discuss the next steps. Changing the current version of the rules before the start of the season is considered highly unlikely, but the measurement procedure could be adjusted or the restriction could be completely removed. Obviously, the engine manufacturers and the FIA will try to avoid a scandal at the start of the season.