Red Bull and Mercedes sparked an engine controversy that’s been probing the F1 offseason for some weeks now. Mercedes was the mastermind behind the power unit trick that would allow them to push compression beyond the 16:1 limit, a trick Red Bull has since adopted as well. There’s a lot of pushback from other teams on the matter, turning all eyes to the FIA for answers.
But what did this Red Bull engineer have to say about the controversy?
Red Bull’s Ben Hodgkinson Takes a Shot at Rivals’ Opposing F1 Engine Trick
Red Bull and Mercedes have faced strong opposition from the likes of Audi, Honda, and Aston Martin regarding the engine compression trick. Opposition mainly centers on a call for a level playing field, which Audi is ambitious about, given that the German outfit is new to the grid.
However, Red Bull Powertrains technical director Ben Hodgkinson took a shot at rival teams that oppose the compression trick. He stood firm in the legality of the concept and bashed rival engineers who want to outlaw it.
“Red Bull’s Ben Hodgkinson on the compression ratio controversy: ‘I’m confident what we’re doing is legal.'” Formula Racers reported on X, via The Guardian. “‘Any engineer that doesn’t understand about thermal expansion, doesn’t deserve to be in this sport — doesn’t deserve to be an engineer really.'”
Red Bull isn’t new to innovation, having led F1 innovation on several occasions in its two-decade existence. In 2010, the Austrian outfit ingeniously repositioned its exhausts to blow over the rear diffuser, leading to significantly more rear downforce. The innovation played a key role in their Sebastian Vettel days of dominance. But while teams tried copying the idea, the FIA soon changed the rules to limit its effectiveness.
As for Mercedes, the renowned road-car manufacturer is famous for being a leader in the turbo-hybrid era of F1. From 2014 to 2021, the German team built class-leading hybrid power units featuring a split-turbo design and advanced energy recovery systems.
The latest controversy of the engine compression trick marks yet another instance of the German and Austrian brands leading the field in innovation and ingenuity. Rivals like Audi and Honda will, nonetheless, be working tirelessly to gain advantages of their own if they cannot sway the FIA into outlawing the compression ratio maneuver.
Honda has been one of the most respected engine manufacturers of the modern era, and Audi has a 117-year history of engineering brilliance, so we’re guaranteed an exciting run-up to the 2026 season.
