Mercedes, Ferrari coalition blocks Red Bull from gaining key F1 engine advantage

Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine and Audi came together to oppose a bid for Red Bull Powertrains Limited to be branded a newcomer to F1, a move which would have seen Red Bull have several advantages in 2026, including more hours for testing. 

Ferrari president John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna personally intervened in the matter to “assert the political weight of the Prancing Horse”, according to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

Red Bull’s high-profile signings of key engine specialists, such as Ben Hodgkinson from Mercedes, was a point of contention, as was the fact Red Bull have access to Honda’s Intellectual Property and boast a wealth of experience and knowledge of the current V6 hybrid power units. 

Gazzetta reports that F1’s governing body the FIA accepted the objections led by Ferrari, meaning Ford will “only” act as a business partner in its new collaboration with Red Bull. 

Ford would have been entitled to the privilege of extra testing hours had it signed up to the 2026 engine regulations independently, like Audi did. 

Ferrari initially refused to sign up to F1’s 2026 engine regulations but the clarification over Red Bull’s position influenced their recent U-turn, according to the report. 

A total of six manufacturers have formally declared they will participate in the next generation of F1 engine regulations. They are: 

Alpine Racing
Audi
Ferrari S.p.A.
Honda Racing Corporation
Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd.
Red Bull Ford

Honda do not currently have a partner for 2026-2030 but initial contact has reportedly been made between the Japanese manufacturer and McLaren over a possible F1 reunion.