Ferrari has reportedly reversed its position over the future of Formula 1’s power unit engine regulations for 2026, according to the Italian publication Corriere dello Sport.
The famed Italian constructor had previously upheld concerns over the recently-formed Red Bull Powertrains having access to Honda’s Intellectual Property but potentially being listed as a new engine manufacturer for the fresh engine regulations coming in 2026.
Subsequently, after not addressing their intention to be a committed party to the rule changes, the team were shown the cold shoulder and banned entirely from attending a meeting last month that consisted of all the F1 power unit suppliers.
However, in a change of events, Corriere has disclosed Ferrari has now come around to signing a pre-agreement with the sport’s governing body, the FIA.
The sport’s most successful outfit joins its fellow current engine manufacturers, Mercedes and Renault, in signing up, along with the highly-anticipated entry of Audi into the fray.
It will bring an end to the current iteration of hybrid powertrains that have been in use since 2014 – ones that have proven to be hugely-expensive and complicated bits of technology.
The updated engine regulations will retain the current 1.6 litre V6 format but eliminate the unpopular Motor Generator Unit Heat – or more commonly known, MGU-H – component, as well as a renewed focus on environmental sustainability including the complete 100 per cent use of sustainable fuels and increased electrical power up to 50 per cent.
Additionally, a new power unit cost cap will be introduced to complement the one already in place now restricting aerodynamic development to further avoid spiralling costs.
F1’s chief technical officer, Pat Symonds, has stated all that remains to be sorted out are the finer details and those will be discussed in a meeting taking place in Geneva next week.
“The power unit regulations are out and published, they’re not finished, we’re now really tidying up,” he said.
“The chassis regulations we have been working on for a while now, a couple of years on some basic layout, but on January 25 we’ve got a big meeting in Geneva with all the teams, and that’s the first sort of real interaction where we sit down with the teams and we say ‘here are the concepts we want to bring into ’26’ and we start getting their views on that.”
“End of January is when we really turn our attention to spending a lot more time with the teams themselves.
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