FIA bans Mercedes and Red Bull engine strategy after Ferrari questions in Formula 1
Federação Internacional of Automobilismo (FIA) officially banned a technical strategy used by teams Mercedes and Red Bull in the Fórmula 1 classification sessions. The decision came after a request for clarification made by Ferrari, which identified a possible irregularity in the use of the MGU-K system, the electrical component of power units. The sport’s highest entity sent documents to the teams notifying them that it will strictly monitor telemetry data to prevent the practice from being repeated in the next stages of the championship.
The mechanism in question involved a method of discharging battery energy that allowed crucial time gains on fast laps. Diferente standard operation, where electrical power gradually decreases at intervals of about a second to preserve the components, the two teams would be forcing an abrupt load cut. Essa maneuver allowed the maximum use of electrical performance until the last possible moment of the stopwatch, generating a competitive advantage that is now under the direct veto of the regulator.
The technical functioning of the MGU-K device in the classifications
The technique used by Mercedes and Red Bull was based on a safety mechanism native to current power units. In normal end-of-load situations, the 350 kW power is reduced in steps of 50 kW, creating a deceleration “ladder” to avoid damage to the system. The “trick” consisted of deliberately activating the full cut-off at once, exploiting a loophole in the protection protocol to maintain the speed peak for longer on the track.
Despite being efficient for performance, the use of this resource brought severe physical limitations that prevented its application during Sunday races. When forcing a complete shutdown through the security protocol, the MGU-K system ended up being stuck for more than a minute for restart. Esse period of inactivity would make the car vulnerable in direct competition conditions, which is why the maneuver was restricted to single laps to define the starting grid, where the driver returns to the pits shortly afterwards.
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- Nominal system power:350 kW supplied by the electrical part.
- Standard reduction:Quedas 50 kW per second.
- Security Protocol:Corte Immediate power supply in cases of failure.
- Technical punishment:Travamento of the system for 60 seconds after activation.
- Affected teams:Mercedes, Red Bull and their respective engine customers.
Strict supervision and impact on engine suppliers
Following this decision, the FIA informed that the manual or intentional shutdown of power will only be tolerated if there is a clear technical justification linked to safety or the resolution of proven mechanical problems. The entity promised to carry out a detailed scan of all data logs after each official session. Caso If the stewards identify that the MGU-K was switched off just to gain performance, the teams and drivers could suffer sporting sanctions.
The impact of the measure extends beyond the two main teams, reaching a significant portion of the Fórmula 1 grid due to supply agreements. Mercedes supplies power units for McLaren, Williams and Alpine, while Red Bull’s engine design, in partnership with Ford, equips Racing Bulls’s cars. Todas these teams will need adjust their electronic mappings to adapt to the federation’s new requirements, which may result in changes to the order of forces for Saturday’s sessions.
The behind-the-scenes movement of Ferrari reflects constant vigilance among the category’s main forces in a year of regulatory stability ahead of the major changes expected in the coming cycles. The Italian team claimed that the interpretation given by Mercedes and Red Bull went beyond the spirit of the current technical rules. By accepting the argument, the FIA reinforces control over energy management, one of the most complex technological pillars of modern technology.
