The FIA has banned a sophisticated Formula 1 qualifying trick used by Mercedes and Red Bull to gain hundredths of a second following safety concerns from Ferrari.
The clever maneuver which involved manipulating the MGU-K component of the hybrid power unit to bypass mandatory power reduction protocols, had become a hot topic after Ferrari raised safety concerns and requested regulatory clarification.
As the grid tightens in what has already been a fiercely competitive year under the radically overhauled 2026 power unit regulations, this decision underscores the governing body’s commitment to maintaining fairness and safety on the track.
Mercedes and Red Bull F1 engine trick explained
At the heart of the controversy lies the new hybrid power units introduced for 2026 which feature an enhanced MGU-K that can now deliver up to 350kW of power, but with intricate rules governing its deployment to prevent abuse.
Normally as drivers approach the timing line at the end of a qualifying lap, teams must adhere to a “ramp down procedure”, reducing electrical power output by 50kW per second to avoid abrupt drops that could compromise control.
This gradual deceleration in energy deployment ensures smooth transitions, especially as battery energy depletes during high-speed straights.
The FIA’s technical regulations allow teams to shut down the MGU-K in emergency situations to protect power unit components from damage, exempting them from the ramp-down requirement in such cases.
To discourage misuse the governing body implemented a “continuous offset mode”, which locks out the MGU-K for 60 seconds after any shutdown, rendering it unusable and thus deterring its activation during races or mid-lap qualifying efforts where that penalty would be catastrophic.
Yet, Mercedes and Red Bull identified a gray area stemming from a safety provision in the rules by disabling the MGU-K precisely on the final straight of a qualifying lap, where the subsequent cooldown lap—requiring no electrical boost—negated the lockout’s downside.
The cars could sustain maximum electrical deployment for the critical final meters, translating to a speed advantage worth 50-100kW in raw power.
While the time gain might register as mere hundredths of a second on tracks with longer straights, in the razor-thin margins of modern qualifying, such edges could mean the difference between pole position and a front-row start.
Suzuka incidents expose loophole
The clever Mercedes and Red Bull F1 engine trick first surfaced at the season-opening Australian GP, where keen-eyed rivals noted unusual power traces in the data as cars flashed across the line.
However, the Japanese Grand Prix in late March blew the lid off when complications from the post-shutdown lockout led to harrowing on-track incidents, prompting urgent FIA discussions with manufacturers on site.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen found themselves limping through the high-speed Suzuka Esses with drastically reduced power, while Williams’ Alex Albon was forced to abandon his session entirely after grinding to a halt.
Mercedes, pragmatic as ever, disabled the system for qualifying at Japan—partly because Suzuka’s short run from the chicane to the line offered minimal gains, and partly to mitigate risks after Antonelli’s close call.
Ferrari’s appeal leads to FIA’s intervention
While the trick initially appeared legal, rival manufacturers had been evaluating if they needed to follow suit and adopt it despite concerns over the inherent dangers of cars hobbling post-lap in traffic-heavy sessions.
This prompted Ferrari to seek formal clarification from the FIA which is believed to have now issued updated technical directives to all teams, explicitly outlawing the MGU-K shutdown for anything beyond genuine emergencies.
The governing body affirmed that the “continuous offset mode” must serve its original protective purpose, and will be conducting data evaluation after qualifying to ensure compliance—no more systematic performance hacks disguised as safeguards.
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