"The Torger propaganda has no limit": Fans react to reports claiming false rumors about Ferrari's 2026 F1 power unit were spread in the paddock

Fans reacted as reports claiming the spread of rumors against Ferrari's 2026 power units were circulated on social media. This was followed by the reported departure of two engineers from the team, who moved to Audi.

The 2026 F1 season is set to bring more complexities to the car's design and the power units. However, the latter is seemingly the more difficult part. Owing to the increase in electrical output, teams would have to make extremely reliable engines that can extract the maximum power at the same time to compete with their competitors.

While there is no clear indication on which team might set the benchmark for others in terms of the power unit, a rumor indicating a Ferrari downfall was spread in the Paddock earlier. Moreover, speculation claimed that it was the Scuderia's rival team, Mercedes, who spread the rumors. If they are to be considered true, then the team did lose two of its engineers, Wolf Zimmermann and Lars Schmidt, to Audi. Again, these are just reports, as there has been no official confirmation.

Reacting to the speculations, fans were rather disappointed with the tactics the rival team seemingly played against the Italian outfit. Many criticized them on social media, but others found it funny, like this comment mentioned:

Scuderia Ferrari FRA

@FerrariF1FRA

@brakeboosted The Torger propaganda has no limit, this is so funny. 😭

CL16__FanpageFr 🇲🇨

@Cl16__FanpageFr

@brakeboosted Mercedes is like Madrid with the press…. I remember 2022 with the sidepods, « 1s faster » 😂😂😂

Ales 🐳

@ImAppears

@brakeboosted It would be so funny if Merc doesnt have the strongest engine next season.

At the same time, however, some fans also criticized Ferrari for not being able to hold up to their engineers.

Nire

@Nire9185

@brakeboosted I only see Vasseur getting outsmarted and unable to make a counter-move

Oliver¹⁶

@olivergyore10

@brakeboosted so Ferrari just got successfully ragebaited by torger and Mercedes😭

TheDamnIntern

@thedamnintern

@brakeboosted I doubt it is. The engineers inside Ferrari must have better insight into their own engine, yet they’re still leaving as well🙄

Power units are expected to make the maximum difference in terms of team performance in the 2026 F1 season. While Mercedes is reported to have the best engines next season, Ferrari seems to be pushing in terms of development.

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Ferrari reportedly targeting 'high risk - high reward' strategy with 2026 F1 engines

Smoke pouring out of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari during the 2022 Azerbaijan GP (Getty Images)

The main changes in the power units under the 2026 F1 regulations are the increased electrical output, which will now generate about the same power as the ICE. Moreover, the MGU-H component will no longer be present, meaning the power regeneration will only be done through kinetic components.

Amidst these changes, Ferrari is reported to be using an extreme approach for the development. The team is hoping to maximize the power output, pushing the V6 to its limit in terms of performance. While this is expected to give them better performance, it might also be a major hit on the reliability. A similar strategy was observed in 2022, when the car was powerful (engine-wise) but also suffered from frequent blowouts (Spain, Azerbaijan, and Austria being the top examples).

However, even if the team drops back in the championship (considering the engines do not deliver the desired result), they would have a better R&D for the future.