The major regulation changes that came into effect at the start of last season are just the beginning of a major rule revamp in Formula 1.
In 2026, the engine regulations will change, forcing teams to go back to the drawing board and try to create the most competitive power unit they possibly can under the new guidance.
Audi have seen this as the perfect opportunity to enter Formula 1 and will spend the new few seasons designing and preparing their power unit before taking over Sauber ahead of the 2026 season.
Red Bull will also be using this as an opportunity for change, as the team will officially switch from Honda engines to ‘Red Bull Powertrains’, creating their own power units after years of help from Honda.
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Every team has currently signed up to these new regulations other than Ferrari, who have taken issue with Red Bull Powertrains due to the extra benefits they will receives due to them being a new manufacturer.
“It would be like Alfa Romeo buying the IP of our current power unit and taking advantage of the benefits allowed for new manufacturers for three seasons,” as-web.jp quoted a Ferrari source.
“In that case, we could buy an engine from Alfa Romeo and use it with a Ferrari badge, giving us an engine that our rivals cannot match.
“But that is not what the regulations we have agreed to are intended to do. A new manufacturer is a purely new entrant, like Audi or Porsche, with no experience in the current regulations.”
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It has now been reported by Corriere dello Sport that Ferrari have reached an agreement with the FIA to sign up to these new regulations despite raising the issue around Red Bull Powertrains.
It is understood that there will be concessions for Ferrari in this agreement, as the FIA look to appease one of the biggest F1 teams in history and keep them in the sport.
Should Red Bull Powertrains be considered a new entrant, the team will be entitled to extra bench testing and a higher spending cap, giving them a significant and potentially unfair advantage over their rivals.