Red Bull Powertrains boss Ben Hodgkinson has played down growing controversy around the 2026 Formula 1 engine regulations, dismissing suggestions of an unfair advantage as “a lot of noise about nothing” and insisting all manufacturers will ultimately converge on the same rules limits.
The debate centres on the compression ratio of the new 2026 power units, which combine a heavily electrified hybrid system with a smaller internal combustion engine.
The regulations specify a maximum compression ratio of 16:1, but paddock chatter has suggested Mercedes and RBPT may have found ways to operate effectively beyond that limit under certain conditions, triggering unease among rival manufacturers.
Those concerns have been amplified by the FIA’s introduction of ADUO (Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities), a mechanism designed to help manufacturers deemed to be lagging behind by granting extra development freedoms, funding and resources during the season.
While ADUO was conceived as a safety net to prevent competitive divergence under a frozen-style homologation system, some fear it may be needed sooner than expected if an early engine advantage emerges, as explained by Motor Sport‘s Mark Hughes.
Speaking at Red Bull’s livery launch in Detroit on Thursday night, Hodgkinson – who spent more than two decades at Mercedes before joining Red Bull Powertrains – said he was unconvinced by the scale of the alarm.
“We’ve taken it right to the very limit of what the regulations allow”
“I don’t really understand why everyone’s so up in arms about it,” Hodgkinson said. “I think there’s some nervousness from various power unit manufacturers that there might be some clever engineering going on in some teams.
“I’ve been doing this a very long time, and it’s almost just noise. You just have to play your own race, really.
“My honest feeling is that it’s a lot of noise about nothing. I expect everyone’s going to be sitting at 16, that’s what I really expect.”
Under the 2026 rules, the combustion engine plays a reduced role compared to current power units, with electrical deployment accounting for roughly half of the total output.
That shift has placed enormous emphasis on efficiency, combustion stability and energy recovery, making compression ratio a particularly sensitive performance lever.
While the regulations clearly cap the ratio at 16:1, the complexity of modern hybrid operation has fuelled speculation that clever calibration, transient operating modes or interactions with the electrical system could blur the boundaries of compliance – even if outright illegality is avoided.
Hodgkinson stressed that Red Bull’s approach has been to push right to the regulatory edge, but no further.
“I know what we’re doing, and I’m confident that what we’re doing is legal,” he said. “Of course, we’ve taken it right to the very limit of what the regulations allow.
“I’d be surprised if everyone hasn’t done that.”
2026 is the first year Red Bull is using its own engines
Red Bull
The former Mercedes engineer also cautioned against mistaking confidence for complacency, arguing that public certainty often masks vulnerability in a competitive environment as unforgiving as Formula 1.
“Everything I do has got to be backed up by the belief I can do it,” he said. “But if you show me a confident engineer, I’ll show you one who is about to lose.
Mercedes is rumoured to have an engine innovation promising a significant advantage over other Formula 1 power units. It could mean rivals are allowed extra benefits to catch up, explains Mark Hughes
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Mark Hughes
“You can never underestimate where everybody is. You always have to assume you’re behind, so you always push to the absolute maximum.”
Red Bull Powertrains faces its first season as a full works engine operation in 2026, following the end of its partnership with Honda.
Hodgkinson acknowledged that Red Bull began its power unit project later than established manufacturers but expressed confidence in the organisation it has built.
“I think we started behind, but I think the people and the facilities we have are better than everybody else,” he said. “Watch this space. Will I have overtaken them by race one? I don’t know.”
He closed by suggesting that much of the current noise reflects anxiety rather than substance.
“My gran used to say an empty can rattles the loudest,” Hodgkinson said. “I just want to get my head down and get on with it, and we’ll let the results do the talking.”
