'Until 2026 frozen Formula 1 engines are very close to each other'

Although all teams with a Mercedes engine in the back of the car are looking a lot slower at the moment, Nikolas Tombazis of the FIA states that no engine manufacturer is having problems and the manufacturers are also very close to each other.

Much of the development of the current engines has been frozen. The ICE, turbocharger, MGU-H, exhaust system, fuel specification and oil may no longer be modified until and unless the new 2026 engine regulations are in place. There is a second deadline on September 1, 2022. Then other developments to the Control Electronics, energy storage and the MGU-K will also be restricted.

With such a large-scale and, above all, long-term freeze, manufacturers naturally run the risk of not competing for prizes for a long period of time. The technical director single seater of the FIA states however La Gazzetta dello Sport That such a situation has been discussed beforehand. In such a case, consideration will be given to how a manufacturer can be helped.

However, this is not necessary, as Tombazis is able to report that no problems have been found with the various manufacturers. In addition, the top FIA official reports that Mercedes, Red Bull Powertrains(Honda), Renault and Ferrari are also very close in performance. So up to and including 2025, Formula 1 seems to be in good shape.

From 2026, completely new engines will be introduced and we may also see the entry of Porsche and Audi. The current engine will remain, but without the expensive MGU-H component. This should make the engine cheaper and Tombazis now also acknowledges that there will probably be a budget cap for the engine manufacturers, as is already the case for the teams.