Mercedes engine case: FIA seeks agreement to introduce hot measurements of the compression ratio

FIA working to resolve the controversy FIA technical manager Nick Tombazis underlined that the Federation does not want to start the 2026 championship with the risk of seeing the Australian GP marked with formal protests from the teams regarding the regularity of an opponent. The object of the dispute is the compression ratio of the Mercedes power unit which ‘when hot’ would be able to ‘rise’ to 18:1 instead of 16:1 as required by the regulations. Currently the technical checks on this aspect of the power units are carried out ‘cold’ and the suspicion of the opponents is that Mercedes appears to be correct during the technical checks and then instead exploits a significant advantage with the engine running. According to what was reported by the newspaper The-Race.com, the coming week has two key meetings on the agenda to try to find a solution or a meeting point between engine engineers. The second FIA meeting with technical experts is scheduled for Monday to try to agree a framework for future tests on compression ratios to be carried out when engines are hot. The next scheduled meeting of F1’s Power Unit Advisory Committee (PUAC) will then be held on Thursday, where – on paper – the controversy will be raised in order to decide on possible next steps. No changes to the regulations are expected in the short term, but the FIA ​​is evidently trying to reach agreement with all competitors on a method of measuring compression ratio when engines are hot. According to rumors gathered by the British newspaper, four motorists are “well aligned” on the issue, but not all elements of the new measurement method were supported by everyone. Considering that there are five engine manufacturers involved in F1 this year (Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Honda and Audi) it is easy to imagine that Ferrari, Honda and Audi constitute a compact front. It is obvious that any change to the regulations would not gain the support of the Mercedes and Red Bull teams if there was a risk of compromising their competitiveness and it is not yet clear whether teams dissatisfied with what Mercedes and – to a lesser extent – ​​Red Bull are doing will take matters into their own hands at the start of the season and lodge a formal complaint seeking clarification on the legality of the situation.