Mercedes engine case, Binotto: “If it were true, it would be a great advantage”

Pre-season controversies Even before starting the 2026 world championship, that of the awaited regulatory revolution, Formula 1 witnessed the outbreak of a controversy, relating precisely to the circumvention of one of the crucial points of the technical engine regulations. We are obviously talking about the “trick” of the compression ratio, which is measured when cold, and which Mercedes would have managed to raise from 16:1 to 18:1 with the power unit in operation, with a potential advantage that in terms of power could even reach 10-15 horsepower and three-four tenths per lap. Audi’s comment On the sidelines of the presentation of the R26, the first Audi single-seater in Formula 1, the team’s technical leaders spoke about the thorny issue, not hiding a certain concern. Audi, together with Ferrari and Honda, wrote a letter of clarification to the FIA.
Operations director Mattia Binotto underlined: “If it’s true, it’s certainly a significant advantage in terms of performance and lap time. And this would make the difference when it comes to competition on the track. But it’s not up to me to prove it or know it, everything is in the hands of the FIA.” Technical director James Key is also of the same opinion: “If in a certain sense the spirit of the regulation is circumvented, a check is necessary. We trust that the FIA ​​will do so, because no one wants to lose a season if the advantage is evident, given that the engines must be homologated. We hope that the FIA ​​will make the right decisions”.
For Key, no compromise on the horizon: “We need to guarantee a level playing field. If someone were to invent a particular speaker and you say it’s not compliant with regulations, it makes no sense to allow it for the rest of the year. We would never accept it.”