In the days of the Austrian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff and Mattia Binotto denied rumors that Mercedes and Ferrari were deliberately delaying the adoption of the regulations for 2026 engines so that their potential rivals Audi and Porsche would have less time to prepare.
However, there is still no regulation by mid-July, although it should be approved at the World Council meeting at the end of June. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport has discovered which issues are still under discussion, hindering the adoption of the document.
The first stumbling point is the time of working with the power plant on the test bench. Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault all suggest a working day limit of one hour, which does not sit well with Audi and Porsche. For mechanics, when developing a power plant, working on a tripod is much more important than for aerodynamics, blowing a car in a wind tunnel.
By limiting the bench work to one hour a day, Audi and Porsche will even be in a losing position against the engine manufacturers already in Formula 1.
No less important is the financial issue. Audi plans to purchase test benches from AVL and spend millions of dollars on this double-digit amount. It will be difficult for project managers to justify such an expense to the board of directors for equipment that cannot be used for more than an hour a day.
Another point on which no agreement has yet been reached is the material for the manufacture of engine pistons. Currently Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault use steel pistons, while future debutants prefer aluminum pistons. The point is that they have no experience with steel and producing steel pistons at the level required for Formula 1 is extremely difficult.
But the issue of CO2-neutral fuel, which Formula 1 will switch to in 2026, has been clarified. The fuel will consist of 75% synthetic materials and 25% climate neutral components made from organic waste. This partially solves the problem of methane emissions from waste, allowing Formula 1 to claim a double benefit for the environment.
Source: F1 News
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