Wolff’s remarks come in the context of an ongoing row over the legality of the Mercedes engine.
Rivals believe Mercedes have found a loophole that allows them to run the engine above the permitted compression ratio.
This – a measurement of the cylinder displacement between the two extremes of the piston stroke – is limited to 16:1, and the rules dictate it will be measured at ambient temperature with the engine at rest.
Mercedes’ rivals believe they have found a way to use materials technology and thermal expansion to run the engine to a higher ratio and are pushing for a rule clarification before the start of the season next month.
Mercedes have not denied they are doing this, but insist the engine is legal.
Rivals have claimed the trick is worth as much as 0.3secs per lap, while Wolff said the gain was “a few horsepower – in England you would say a couple, which is more like two and three.”
He added: “Lobbying from the other engine manufacturers has massively ramped up over the last few months.
“I mean, secret meetings, secret letters to the FIA, which obviously there is no such thing as secret in this sport.
“Everybody was a little bit too excited about the performance of the Mercedes engine-powered teams.
“And I think that our colleagues from the other brands have been carried away a little bit that this could be embarrassing, which I don’t think it is at all.”
On the prospect of the rules changing before the start of the season, he said: “There is a governance process. And if that governance were to vote for an engine regulation change, you just have to take it on the chin.”
But he said: “The very essence of Formula 1 is to find performance, to attract the best engineers and the best people, give them freedom to develop regulations and once it goes for you and another time it goes against you.”
Williams team principal James Vowles, who is a Mercedes customer, said: “The PU that we have in the car is completely compliant with the regulations. This is a meritocracy where the best engineering outcome effectively gets rewarded as a result, not punished as a result.
“Right now, I don’t think there is a person in the pit lane that can tell you what is the best PU. We are focused on one detail.
“My hope is that sense prevails and we as a sport recognise that we are here to be a meritocracy. The best engineering solution wins as a result of it and therefore we are where we are right now.”
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
L3Harris has highlighted the potential benefits of pairing its Red Wolf miniature cruise missile with the U.S. Air Force’s OA-1K Skyraider II. Standoff munitions like Red Wolf could help the OA-1K, originally designed for close air support and surveillance and reconnaissance in support of low-intensity operations, find a role in future high-end conflicts, but questions about the value of doing so remain. The U.S. Marine Corps is already acquiring the Red Wolf to provide a boost in capability for its AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters for the same general reasons.
L3Harris officially unveiled Red Wolf, as well as the companion Green Wolf (fitted with an electronic warfare payload instead of a high-explosive warhead), last July. However, the development of the “Wolf” family of systems dates back to 2020.
“Our customers demand a lean, agile aircraft that can fly, take off and land anywhere, anytime, outfitted with a wide range of payloads,” Jason Lambert, President for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Space and Mission Systems at L3Harris, said in a statement today. “Bringing together Red Wolf and Sky Warden demonstrates the rapid reconfiguration and customization of key L3Harris capabilities.”
The OA-1K can carry up to 6,000 pounds of munitions and other stores on as many as eight pylons, four under each wing. L3Harris has also said in the past that aircraft has a “robust suite of radios and datalinks providing multiple means for line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communications.”
OA-1K Skyraider II Walk-Around Tour With Its Test Pilot
Adding Red Wolf to the Skyraider II’s arsenal would turn the aircraft into a true standoff weapons delivery platform. This, in turn, would help keep the aircraft further away from potential threats, reducing the risk to the crew.
The members of the “Wolf” family are all in the 250-pound class. They have a missile-like core design, powered by a small turbojet, and with at least a degree of low-observability (stealthiness). They are in the 250-pound weight class. “Their endurance has been proven in flight testing, demonstrating high subsonic speeds – 200+ nautical mile range at low altitudes and 60+ minutes duration,” per L3Harris.
Side-by-side renderings of the Red Wolf and Green Wolf, showing them to be functionally identical, at least externally. L3Harris
Details about how Red Wolf or Green Wolf are guided are limited, but L3Harris says they are capable of “autonomous over-the-horizon engagements.” The Marine Corps, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, has used tablet-based control systems as part of the engagement process in past testing of Red Wolf.
L3Harris has also talked in the past about how members of the Wolf family could work together. The Green Wolves could help locate targets, especially hostile air defense assets, by zeroing in on their signal emissions, as well as clear a path for Red Wolves to actually strike them.
A graphical rendering of a notional concept of overland operations involving the employment of Red Wolf and Green Wolf systems. L3Harris has also shown similar concepts for use of the Wolf family in support of maritime missions and expeditionary operations in a littoral context. L3Harris
Red Wolf or Green Wolf are also only the start of what L3Harris hopes to be a larger family of configurations based around the central design. At least one Red Wolf was reportedly employed at the U.S. Army’s Experimentation Demonstration Gateway Event in 2021 (EDGE 21) configured as an airborne signal relay node rather than a munition.
“We can adjust the size of the warhead, the fuel tank, we can even put a parachute on the back of it, and we have,” Matthew “Guicci” Klunder, Vice President for Business Development at L3Harris, said in a promotional video released last year, seen below. “It can be a kinetic effect, it could be a non-kinetic effect, it could even be a decoy.”
Meet the “Wolf Pack”
Changing the size of the warhead would have impacts on range and endurance, as well as the terminal effect on the target. This also opens up the possibility of fitting different types of warheads, including ones with increased penetrating capability. A parachute system would allow for recovery and, by extension, potential reuse.
Overall, L3Harris describes the “Wolf” family collectively as “launched effects vehicles.” The U.S. military uses the term “launched effect” to refer to a broad swatch of uncrewed aerial systems that can be deployed from platforms in the air, on the ground, and at sea, and that can be configured as one-way attackers or to perform other missions. The Wolf family is just one of a growing number of modular, relatively cheap, and small systems that fall under that broad umbrella. Many of them increasingly blur the line between uncrewed aerial systems, especially longer-range kamikaze drones, and cruise missiles, as well as decoys.
As mentioned, just integrating Red Wolf onto the OA-1K would give it a standoff strike capability it currently does not have. Adding Green Wolf to the mix would further expand its capability, including adding a valuable, if not potentially critical, way to suppress hostile air defenses that might suddenly pop up.
An OA-1K seen operating from a dirt field during developmental testing. USAF
In general, standoff capabilities for the Skyraider II could open up important new avenues to employing the aircraft in the context of future large-scale conflicts, including across the broad expanses of the Pacific. When the Air Force first initiated the Armed Overwatch program, U.S. military operations globally were defined by counter-terrorism operations in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria with entirely permissive airspace. By the time the decision was made to acquire the OA-1Ks, a shift was underway across the U.S. military to reorient toward preparing for high-end fights.
“How could we support them [friendly forces] if it’s in the Pacific or anywhere else? The OA-1K certainly has some roles and missions that can [provide] support there. And then in a large-scale combat operation, we are looking at, in partnership with other components of SOCOM [U.S. Special Operations Command], what are some of the things that it could do,” a high-ranking Air Force official told TWZ in an interview last year. “Can it employ air-launched effects, at range, at standoff, in a flexible way that would provide value?”
“The beauty of the OA-1K is that it’s modular, it’s adaptable, and for a relatively small aircraft can carry a lot of payload. And so in a perfect world, in a resource-unconstrained world, I want to be able to have as big a menu as possible of things that I could hang from a hardpoint on there, or attach as a sensor,” Air Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, head of AFSOC, also told TWZ later in the year on the sidelines of Air & Space Forces Association’s main annual ocnference. “I’d love to be able to use long-range standoff mission munitions on multiple airframes.”
Conley was responding to a question specifically about integrating Black Arrow, also known as the Small Cruise Missile (SCM), onto the Skyraider II. Leidos is developing Black Arrow for AFSOC now, but primarily as a new standoff capability for the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship. Questions have also been raised about how to ensure the future relevance of the Air Force’s AC-130 fleets in high-end fights.
Leidos completes successful test launch of a Small Cruise Missile
At the same time, exactly how great the benefit would be to making the OA-1K into a standoff shooter is a matter of debate. A key benefit the Skyraider II offers is its ability to operate with a very small logistical footprint from far-flung locales, including ones that are very austere and close to or even within contested areas. As such, an OA-1K would be able to launch munitions like the Red Wolf from within the enemy’s own weapon engagement zones or from other surprise vectors, and fly low and slow to literally stay out of the gaze of distant radars.
At the same time, the OA-1K’s range and speed are limited, with the aircraft said to have a combat radius of roughly 200 miles with six hours of loitering time once arriving on station. The Skyraider II’s ability to survive in a highly contested areas, even with a standoff capability like that offered by Red Wolf, is also questionable at best.
OA-1Ks could still provide useful support during a high-end fight, but in areas further away from hostile threats. As TWZ has pointed out in the past, in a Pacific scenario, the aircraft could provide force protection and surveillance on a localized level around forward operating locations, including island outposts.
AFSOC’s Conley, among others, has also stressed in the past that AFSOC will still continue to be called upon to conduct lower-intensity missions that require the kinds of capabilities that the OA-1K was originally designed for, as well.
Regardless, the market space for munitions like Red Wolf and Black Arrow is steadily growing, and includes many other designs already that might also find their way onto the OA-1K, as well as other platforms in the air, ground, and maritime domains.
Red Wolf does have the additional benefit of already being elsewhere in the U.S. military ecosystem. As noted, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army have been testing it in recent years. In January, L3Harris announced that the Marine Corps (by way of the Department of the U.S. Navy) had chosen Red Wolf for its Precision Attack Strike Munition (PSAM) requirement for a new air-launched standoff weapon primarily to arm the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter. The Marines have been facing their own questions about how to keep the AH-1Z, as well as the companion UH-1Y Venom armed utility helicopter, relevant in future high-end fights.
A US Marine Corps AH-1Z carrying a Red Wolf under each of its stub wings seen during a test in 2025. USMC
Further orders for different members of the Wolf family from other branches of the U.S. military, and potentially foreign operators, could be advantageous when it comes to sharing the cost burden and driving down unit prices through economies of scale. There could be interoperability and other operational benefits from multiple services operating versions of the same platform, as well.
Whether Red Wolf or Green Wolf ultimately become part of the OA-1K’s arsenal, the demand for launched effects like this only looks set to grow across the U.S. military and globally. For the Skyraider II, some mixture of standoff capabilities increasingly looks to be in the plane’s future to expand its relevance beyond lower-intensity conflicts.
With Alisson marooned upfield for a set-piece as Liverpool searched for a late equaliser, Rayan Cherki kicked the ball towards an empty net.
Haaland gave chase and was clearly going to outpace Dominik Szoboszlai.
The City striker had overtaken Szoboszlai 25 yards from goal and looked certain to win the race – but he was pulled back.
It was a clear foul which referee Craig Pawson identified, but he played an advantage.
As the ball rolled towards the goal with the same two players still jostling to reach it, Liverpool‘s Hungary international was about to slide in and clear it off the line.
Before Szoboszlai could do so, however, Haaland pulled him back, and that stopped the home player from keeping the ball out of the net.
The first pull on Haaland muddies the waters. After all, it seemed Haaland was definitely going to score.
But they are two distinct situations. You have to separate the first foul by Szoboszlai and the subsequent offence from Haaland.
Would Szoboszlai have prevented the goal had he not been fouled? There is a high chance.
On that basis it is impossible for the goal to stand.
Remember that Pawson played advantage. Had Szoboszlai been allowed to successfully keep the ball out, the play would have been brought back and he would have been sent off.
The end result would be the same as the outcome of the VAR intervention: no goal and Szoboszlai sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
If you take out the first pull on Haaland, it is hard to see how anyone could have a problem with the goal being disallowed.
This is not the first time, or the last, that the VAR has correctly disallowed a goal and people really struggle to stomach it.
Yes, the goal could be important for Manchester City at the end of the season. But the goal conceded could also turn out to be vital for Liverpool.
Global markets rarely reveal their vulnerabilities quietly. They do so when shipping lanes come under threat, energy prices surge, or supply chains fracture. Few regions illustrate this reality more starkly than the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which are now among the world’s most contested maritime corridors. What unfolds along these waters no longer remains local. It shapes economic security across the Arab world and far beyond.
Yet, amid growing attention to this strategic corridor, one factor remains persistently underestimated: Somalia.
For decades, Somalia was viewed primarily through the lens of conflict and fragility. That narrative no longer reflects today’s reality. The country is undergoing a consequential transition, moving away from prolonged instability, rebuilding state institutions, and re-emerging as a sovereign actor with growing regional relevance. Situated at the intersection of the Arab world, Africa, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, Somalia is not peripheral to regional stability; it is central to it.
Geography alone explains much of this significance. With the longest coastline in mainland Africa, Somalia lies adjacent to the Bab al-Mandeb passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. A substantial share of global maritime trade and energy shipments passes through this corridor. Disruptions along Somalia’s coast, therefore, have immediate implications for shipping reliability, energy markets, and food security — issues of direct concern to Gulf states and Arab economies.
For the Arab world, Somalia should be understood not as distant terrain but as a front-line partner in regional security. Stability along Somalia’s coastline helps contain threats before they reach the Arabian Peninsula, whether in the form of violent extremism, illicit trafficking networks, piracy, or the entrenchment of hostile external military presences along Africa’s eastern flank.
Somalia is not attempting to build stability from scratch. Despite persistent challenges, tangible progress has been made. Federal governance structures are functioning. National security forces are undergoing professionalisation. Public financial management has improved. Diplomatically, Somalia has reasserted itself within the Arab League, the African Union, and multilateral forums. These gains continue to be built on daily and reflect a clear commitment to sovereign statehood, territorial unity, and partnership rather than dependency. Somalia today seeks strategic alignment grounded in mutual interest, not charity.
Somalia’s relevance also extends beyond security. Its membership in the East African Community integrates the country into one of the world’s fastest-growing population and consumer regions. East Africa’s rapid demographic expansion, urbanisation, and economic integration position Somalia as a natural bridge between Gulf capital and African growth markets.
There is a clear opportunity for Somalia to emerge as a logistics and transshipment gateway linking the Gulf, the Red Sea, East Africa and the Indian Ocean. With targeted investments in ports, transport corridors, and maritime security, Somalia can become a critical node in regional supply chains supporting trade diversification, food security, and economic resilience across the Arab world.
At the heart of Somalia’s potential is its dynamic population. More than 70 percent of Somalis are aged below 30. This generation is increasingly urban, digitally connected, and entrepreneurial. Somali traders and business networks already operate across Southern and Eastern Africa, spanning logistics, finance, retail, and services. A large and dynamic diaspora across the Gulf, Europe, North America, and Africa further amplifies this reach through remittances, investment, and transnational expertise.
None of these momentums, however, can be sustained without security. A capable, nationally legitimate Somali security sector is the foundation for durable stability, investment confidence, and regional integration.
For Gulf states and the wider Arab world, supporting Somalia’s security sector is therefore not an act of altruism. It is a strategic investment in a reliable stabilising partner. Effective Somali security institutions contribute directly to safeguarding Red Sea and Gulf of Aden maritime corridors, countering transnational terrorism before it reaches Arab shores, protecting emerging logistics infrastructure, and denying external actors opportunities to exploit governance vacuums. Such support must prioritise institution-building, Somali ownership, and long-term sustainability, not short-term fixes or proxy competition.
The stakes are rising. The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are entering a period of heightened strategic contestation. Fragmentation along their African coastline poses a direct risk to Arab collective security. Recent developments underscore this urgency.
Israel’s unilateral recognition of the northern Somali region of Somaliland, pursued outside international legal frameworks and without Somali consent, is widely viewed as an attempt to secure a military foothold along these strategic waters, risking the introduction of the Arab-Israeli conflict into the Gulf’s security environment.
Even more troubling are emerging narratives advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, with proposals to relocate them to Somaliland against their will. Such ideas, whether formally advanced or not, represent grave violations of international law and human dignity. Exporting the consequences of occupation and war onto African soil would not resolve conflict; it would multiply it.
For the Arab world, this should serve as a wake-up call. Allowing external actors to fragment sovereign states or instrumentalise fragile regions for unresolved conflicts carries long-term consequences. Somalia’s unity and stability, therefore, align squarely with core Arab strategic interests and with longstanding Arab positions on sovereignty, justice and self-determination.
Somalia is ready to be part of the solution. With calibrated strategic support, particularly in security sector development and logistics infrastructure, Somalia can emerge as a cornerstone of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden stability, a gateway to East Africa, and a long-term partner for the Arab world.
The question is no longer whether Somalia matters in the regional and global Red Sea and Gulf of Aden discussions and plans. It is whether the region will act on that reality before others do.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
The Foreign Office has issued a travel warning to British tourists as Spain and Portugal face a red weather alert for extreme conditions this half term
14:11, 04 Feb 2026Updated 14:13, 04 Feb 2026
Chairs are pictured floating in a flooded street of Alcacer do Sal, south of Portugal, during Leonardo storm on February 4(Image: Getty Images)
The Foreign Office has issued an urgent warning to British holidaymakers heading to two of the nation’s most beloved destinations. A red alert has been declared by state meteorological agencies for Spain and Portugal, with hazardous weather conditions forecast for the coming weeks as thousands of Brits prepare to travel during half term.
Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued a red warning for severe rainstorms across Malaga Province on Wednesday, 4 February, with predictions suggesting rainfall accumulations could exceed 150 litres per square metre within 12 hours and surpass 200 litres per square metre over 24 hours in inland regions.
Schools throughout Andalucia will remain shut on Wednesday as a precautionary measure against the extreme weather. The red alert, indicating “extraordinary danger”, will remain active in the Ronda region from midnight onwards for the entire day.
AEMET has warned that storm conditions are anticipated to persist until mid-February. The Foreign Office stated: “Heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong coastal winds are expected across the country until Sunday 8 February, with an increased risk of flash flooding, landslides and travel disruption. Follow advice of local authorities and monitor weather updates on the European Meteorological Services website. “
In its guidance to travellers, the Foreign Office stated: “Once the event has happened, you should be aware of possible risks relating to damaged buildings or other infrastructure. Be aware that events in places away from where you are can still cause disruption, such as through loss of power, communications or transport services.”
“It may take time for airports to re-open and there may be serious shortages of accommodation, food, water and health facilities. It may be harder for you to receive help from humanitarian workers if it is difficult to access the area due to transport infrastructure damage or flooding.
“The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) ability to help British nationals may be limited (perhaps severely) in these circumstances. We cannot ensure your safety and security in another country. The relevant authorities in the country or territory you are in are responsible for your safety and security.”
Storm Leonardo, the sixth significant low-pressure system to strike in 2026, is set to batter Andalusia once more, with Malaga squarely in its sights. In its most recent bulletin, AEMET has escalated the rainfall alert to red for the province.
According to weather experts at Meteored, “By the end of the coming early morning, very intense rain will begin in the west and far south of Andalucia. It will continue throughout the morning, spreading to the rest of the southern community. In the afternoon, the most intense precipitation will occur in the eastern area, from the Strait to Almeria, with a strong westerly maritime storm.”
In Malaga, the Costa del Sol, the Guadalhorce region, and Axarquia, Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET has issued an orange warning for rainfall accumulations of between 90 and 100 litres in 12 hours. The agency warned: “Accumulations exceeding 150 litres in 24 hours may be reached in the western half of the zone. In the rest, accumulations of 40 litres in 12 hours are expected,”.
AEMET has also issued its highest level of alert, a Red Advisory, for heavy rain in Cádiz and parts of Málaga province for Wednesday, February 4. The advisory warns of 150mm of rain in 12 hours and 200mm in 24 hours in some inland areas.
Due to the severe weather threat, all schools in Andalusia will be closed on Wednesday. Additionally, a series of yellow alerts and amber warnings have been activated, as the regions brace for a battering.
The alerts arrive as Portugal and Spain prepare themselves for additional downpours with Storm Leonardo set to hit this week, meteorologists have confirmed. Following several weeks of damp and occasionally blustery conditions, Storm Leonardo is forecast to deliver further precipitation to the Iberian Peninsula, with particularly severe rainfall anticipated throughout Andalusia, weather experts have warned.
“Israel, as the occupying power, has the obligation to ensure the needs of people are met in Gaza.” As he prepared to leave Gaza, the Red Cross’s Patrick Griffiths is hopeful the Rafah crossing’s “opening” will give Palestinians a chance to heal, but says more must be done.
From the Versace dress that led to the creation of Google Images to the Swarovski-encrusted jumpsuit that repopularized androgynous menswear on the red carpet, the Grammy Awards show is synonymous with iconic fashion. Bold and daring looks often push the envelope.
Music’s biggest night returns to Crypto.com Arena on Sunday and will bring with it the edgiest fashion of the season. Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, SZA, Doechii, Chappell Roan, Addison Rae, Miley Cyrus, Cardi B, Katseye and Huntr/x are among the nominees sure to turn heads while Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Tyler, the Creator are some of the men who will bring their A game.
Here’s the best fashion from the 2026 Grammys, captured by The Times’ photo team.
Seven of the 11 teams were running on Monday – Red Bull, Mercedes, Racing Bulls, Haas, Alpine and the new Audi and Cadillac teams.
McLaren said last week that they would not take their car on to the track until after day one as a result of trying to maximise design time. Ferrari, after an initial test at their factory last week, had also announced they would not run on Monday.
Aston Martin have said their new car will not be ready until Thursday, and Williams are missing the test entirely after delays to their design and production programme.
No times were issued, and all teams ran into at least some technical issues as they learned about their new cars.
Rival teams were impressed by the amount of mileage the two Red Bull teams managed considering it was the first full day of running with their new in-house engine, which has been developed in conjunction with new partner Ford.
Before the test started, McLaren and Red Bull revealed images of their 2026 cars for the first time.
McLaren, who won the drivers’ and constructors’ championship double last year for the first time since 1998, showed the car in the one-off testing livery it will run in this week.
Red Bull showed studio shots of their car, carefully chosen to disguise key design features.
Russell added: “We are pleased with our day, but I’ve also been impressed by several other teams.
“The Red Bull power unit has completed a lot of laps which, given that it’s their first engine they’ve built, means they’ve clearly done a good job.
“Haas also managed a similar amount of running to ourselves, so the Ferrari power unit has also put together plenty of mileage. It’s not quite how it was in 2014! The sport has evolved so much since then and the level, in every single aspect, is so high now.”
Audi have taken over the Sauber team for the German car company’s first entry into F1. They suffered a reliability issue that prevented Bortoleto driving in the afternoon.
Team principal Jonathan Wheatley said: “We had a technical issue, spotted it and decided to switch the car off. Plenty of testing this year and wanted to really understand the problems, see what the weather conditions are and decide whether we run tomorrow.”
Rain is forecast for Tuesday’s second day of the test, during which teams are permitted to run on a maximum of three of the available days.
Bortoleto said: “The cars are very different. I feel these are going to be slower but it’s very cool to have the power unit being 50% electric – you go out of the corner and you have so much speed being deployed and you can see how strong the engine is.
“You need to adapt but it’s still a racing car.”
Racing Bulls’ Lawson said: “[The car is] very different to drive and I haven’t got my head around it fully yet. We will keep learning. It feels like there is a lot more we can do as drivers to make a difference, potentially, but right now it’s very early days, very hard to know where we are for now just trying to optimise the car.
“[The power unit] feels good. But it’s very hard to tell – the main thing is reliability at the moment.
“We have done a good amount of laps today and the only issues we had today were safety precautions, not actual issues. But hard to know where we’re at compared to everyone else.”
