Ferrari placing trust in FIA over reported power unit loophole

Enrico Gualtieri, power unit technical director at Ferrari, believes an outcome over discussions over a potential power unit loophole could happen in the coming weeks.

Technical experts met with the FIA last Thursday, at which the topic of compression ratios is understood to have been raised – with one or two manufacturers reported to have found a regulatory grey area that could allow them to legally go beyond the prescribed limit.

Ferrari trusting FIA to manage power unit topic ‘in the proper way’

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Power unit compression ratios are dropping from 18:1 to 16:1 in this latest ruleset, a measurement of the ratio between the maximum and minimum volume at the top and bottom of a piston during the compression stage of a power cycle.

Multiple reports have suggested that up to two manufacturers, believed to be Mercedes and Red Bull-Ford Powertrains, have found a solution whereby a 16:1 ratio could be achieved at ambient temperatures – as is listed as the maximum in the regulations – and the process of thermal expansion when power units heat up would improve this ratio beyond the 16:1 limit.

This, in turn, would offer a potential lap time improvement while being considered legal, as measurements are not taken while power units are at operating temperatures.

RBPT technical director Ben Hodgkinson played down reports surrounding Red Bull, though, dubbing them “a lot of noise about nothing”, adding that Red Bull’s compression ratio is “way too low” to be of concern.

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Unlike the previous rule cycle, power unit development is allowed once again this season, with manufacturers able to bring updates to its package to try and close any gaps to the top manufacturers,

With Ferrari powering itself and two customers in Cadillac and Haas, Gualtieri confirmed the subject of compression ratios is on the table with the governing body, and he is placing trust in the FIA for a solution to be found in the coming days and weeks.

“We are approaching the topic together with the FIA,” Gualtieri told PlanetF1.com and other outlets as Ferrari launched the SF-26.

“We are still discussing with them. We had a technical meeting, a technical workshop [on Thursday 22 January], and we are going to have additional one in the next days, up to, finally, the power unit advisory committee.

“So, we are approaching the topic together with them. We are certainly trusting them for managing the topic in the proper way, going through the procedures and the governance that is in place by regulation, and we completely trust that the process could come into an ending in the next days and weeks.”

Aston Martin’s Andy Cowell acknowledged that every power unit manufacturer will be pushing to its limit, but added that “the FIA have the job to make sure that everybody interprets the regulations in a fair and equal way, which is what’s ongoing at the moment.”

The head of Audi’s F1 project, former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, added that the recent FIA meeting was in part to establish a method whereby compression ratios could be monitored in working conditions which, in turn, could close that potential loophole.

Should any power unit manufacturer face major performance or reliability deficits to rivals, however, a new system of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) could be utilised as an opportunity to close the gap.

Additional reporting by Mat Coch

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