Mattia Binotto and Toto Wolff said that the negotiations around the new Formula One rules package are on track, but not yet finalized. The leaders said they favored the entry of new constructors and denied maneuvers to scare off Audi and Porsche.
Ferrari and Mercedes chiefs Mattia Binotto and Toto Wolff assured that the delay in finalizing the new Formula 1 engine regulations is not a ploy to scare off Audi and Porsche. The two leaders said they were in favor of the entry of the new constructors.
Although the Volkswagen group has already expressed its interest in entering F1, no official announcement has been made so far. The automotive giant is still waiting for the completion of the 2026 regulations, which have not yet been agreed upon by the FIA (International Automobile Federation).
During the championship's run at the Red Bull Ring, the F1 Commission met and, in a brief statement, pointed out that the "regulation package is close to being finalized."
The basic package should remain a 2.6-liter turbo engine, but other aspects should be modified. For now, the main change concerns the end of the use of the MGU-H, the battery responsible for generating electrical energy from the heat of the cars' exhaust. This part was considered one of the most complex within the hybrid engines used in F1 since 2014, since besides being quite expensive, it was difficult to develop.
Because of Audi and Porsche's delay in officially announcing their entry into Formula 1, rumors arose accusing other constructors of trying to scare away the VW group. Binotto, however, assures that this is not the case.
"We are very optimistic," Binotto said. "We are very optimistic because it is great for Formula One, it is great to have more constructors and it is great to have the Volkswagen Audi group in our business and in our Formula One championship," he followed.
"I think we did everything we could in trying to adapt, to make sure they were happy," he assessed. "We removed the H, not only did we try to help them join F1 and, believe me, for us to remove the H is something that maybe is not the best choice," he commented.
The Italian considered that the delay is a result of the need to do a job well, including on the part of the FA, which is the one leading the talks.
"It is a compromise that we are discussing for the budget ceiling. It's a compromise because there are technologies that we know a lot about in, which are very high efficiency technologies, which is great for Formula 1. So I think, again, we were very positive and constructive," he assessed. "Now, why is it taking so long? Because I think it's the time needed to do things right and we're just not ready now. Not only us as current manufacturers, but the FIA, because they are the ones leading the discussions," he pointed out.
"I think also Audi and Porsche, the regulations are not ready, there are still open points, which simply need to be addressed and agreed upon," he pointed out.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also denied an attempt to bar the entry of new factories. Asked whether this delay was an attempt to dissuade Porsche, he replied, "Quite the opposite. We don't want to delay this regulation, we want to put it into practice.
"We gave up the H, which was a huge thing to accommodate the newcomers," he assessed. "We were told that by the end of the year we will have a confirmation of who is coming in. That confirmation hasn't been given to date, I don't know why, but this is an environment where the regulations change all the time," he pondered.
"So it can't be something that depends on the regulations, it's something we can expect from them because we've made great strides towards them. We will put those last points in the regulations," he declared. "We would like to have them as part of the show. They've been sitting at the table negotiating these regulations for some time, but they haven't committed yet," he concluded.