FIA under fire from Aston Martin and Newey over Mercedes engine issue ahead of Melbourne. Aston Martin and Adrian Newey are reportedly furious with the FIA.

The 2026 Formula 1 season has yet to officially begin, but tensions are already rising with the prospect of a protest ahead of the opening race. On January 22, a meeting took place between the FIA and the constructors to discuss the Mercedes power unit case, but Aston Martin and Adrian Newey were reportedly unhappy with the path taken.

According to sources, the Federation has not made a decision regarding the issue of the increased compression chamber. The main focus of the meeting was to establish a method to measure this parameter at operating temperatures rather than ambient ones.

Effectively, no countermeasures have been implemented, allowing the German manufacturer to continue exploiting a gray area in the regulations. Even Audi, from Mattia Binotto’s perspective, expected a different outcome. Rival teams to Mercedes will obviously not have enough time to adapt before the start of the season.

Aston Martin’s stance against the FIA

According to L’Équipe, Adrian Newey, Technical Director at Aston Martin, is furious with the FIA over how the Mercedes engine issue has been handled. The Brackley-based team also supplies its power units to Alpine, McLaren, and Williams, all of which are potential competitors powered by Honda engines.

This is why the British team, among others, could consider lodging a protest ahead of the first race of the season in Melbourne. Teams will remain in contact with the Federation, and this topic will almost certainly be revisited in the future.

The FIA’s technical solution

The FIA is working on a method to measure the compression ratio, which must be 16:1, at higher temperatures. However, this solution does not yet have a scheduled introduction date, meaning Mercedes can continue using its current power unit, which, under today’s measurements, is still considered legal.

As the technical battle for 2026 intensifies, the standoff between Aston Martin and the FIA highlights the immense pressure surrounding the new power unit regulations. With Adrian Newey reportedly leading the charge for clarity, the threat of a protest in Melbourne suggests that the fight for supremacy in this new era will be contested just as fiercely in the stewards’ room as it is on the race track.