Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur’s comments now seem eerily predictive after the explosive 2026 power unit controversy that’s rocking Formula 1.
“When you have an idea, you have to make sure that it is legal,” Vasseur told L’Équipe just days before news broke about Mercedes and Red Bull potentially exploiting a major loophole.
The controversy centers around both teams allegedly finding a clever way to bypass F1’s new 16:1 compression ratio limits through a technical workaround.
Vasseur had warned about exactly this kind of situation.
“Imagine coming up with a great idea for your front wing. You have the eyes of love and you say to yourself, ‘It’s going to pass.’ You build your car around that wing and that idea. Then, in December, the FIA guys come in and tell you: ‘No, it’s forbidden! You have forgotten Article 56.B, paragraph 3.’ Your car is garbage.”
His engine comments now seem particularly telling, suggesting Ferrari might have already been aware of what their rivals were up to.
Why Mercedes and Red Bull may have gotten lucky with a mistake by F1’s rule makers
Here’s where things get really interesting.
The FIA might have actually created this problem themselves. They changed Article 5.4.6 from a short, clear rule into something much more complicated.
The new wording specifically mentions that compression ratio checks happen at “ambient temperature” – creating a gray area that teams could exploit. The old rule was simpler and applied the limit whether the engine was hot or cold.
This tiny detail could be worth massive performance gains when the new engine regulations arrive.
What makes this even more fascinating is how teams constantly push these boundaries. It’s the eternal cat-and-mouse game between F1’s rule makers and the brilliant engineers trying to find every possible advantage.
Will other teams be forced to play catch-up? Can the FIA close this loophole before 2026?
The paddock is buzzing with speculation about how this might shift the balance of power when F1’s new engine era begins.
