2026 Drama: Alleged engine loophole

[FittingMechanics]

I would be surprised if other engines are not exceeding 16.0 when hot so I think Mercedes is in a strong position to demand equal testing and then all engines are illegal.

I still believe the most likely outcome is making illegal the way in which Mercedes achieved this, but this will come into effect from 2027. And a change in the ruleset that removes "ambient".

For 2026 engine is allowed to race. Just like with DAS.

We may see Mercedes engines throw on some sandbags in testing (if they have an advantage) to stop anyone from complaining too much.

[dialtone]

What Newey and other teams say on the basis of nothing is pretty irrelevant, it's the parts' game.

I agree that FIA doesn't seem to want to let this thing go and that interview is pretty clear in my opinion, I'm just wondering how they will handle it to avoid a lawsuit war with Toto or a complete farce (Mercedes PU teams not allowed to race).

Well I understand what you are saying but it’s not just a parts’ game. They need 4/5 votes from the teams and then the FIA and FOM can change whatever they want.

Legitimately this is not an easy position for Mercedes, they are not on the strong side, they are where Ferrari was in 2019, except even weaker imho.

FIA and FOM have no obligation to accomodate them, they only care for the sport so they’ll seek a compromise, but they will not get to run it as is for this year. They are lucky if they get only a fuel flow restriction with a ballast, to balance the reduced fuel, in the tank area.

FIA will have the CAD, so they know the complexity of the fix, and they could even tell them they have to fix this within the first n races and that this isn’t excluded from budget cap or engine allocations for all the teams, so they’ll start one engine down and so on.

This is really the right moment to reinforce what they did to Ferrari 2019 and that FIA doesn’t mess around and stop any future gaming attempt in the engine area.

[bluechris]

What Newey and other teams say on the basis of nothing is pretty irrelevant, it's the parts' game.

I agree that FIA doesn't seem to want to let this thing go and that interview is pretty clear in my opinion, I'm just wondering how they will handle it to avoid a lawsuit war with Toto or a complete farce (Mercedes PU teams not allowed to race).

Toto will sue them for what? If the engine is IN the specs then all this is a nothing burger so no one in MB has anything to afraid off. The rule is clear but the testing procedure seems it will change like many times before in-season and all changed their cars without a word. Now we are in a much better position because the championship hasn't started yet so its much better to change anything.
It will nerf them a bit? They will have some troubles in the 1st races? Maybe, but it was their decision to do this and imo it was a risky thing. I am pretty certain they will have no problem running the engine without the trick, if there is a trick indeed. It's just they thought they grabbed the bull from the horns once again like many times in the past.
Also after Toto initial reaction, there is completely silence from MB, in other situations we would had daily blah blah from them if they were innocent so this says a lot for the situation.

[AR3-GP]

What Newey and other teams say on the basis of nothing is pretty irrelevant, it's the parts' game.

He doesn't control anything, but it puts more credibility towards the story.

[AR3-GP]

I would be surprised if other engines are not exceeding 16.0 when hot so I think Mercedes is in a strong position to demand equal testing and then all engines are illegal.

This outcome is unlikely since the others wouldn't ask for a test that they are not prepared to pass.

[Sergej]

What Newey and other teams say on the basis of nothing is pretty irrelevant, it's the parts' game.

I agree that FIA doesn't seem to want to let this thing go and that interview is pretty clear in my opinion, I'm just wondering how they will handle it to avoid a lawsuit war with Toto or a complete farce (Mercedes PU teams not allowed to race).

Well I understand what you are saying but it’s not just a parts’ game. They need 4/5 votes from the teams and then the FIA and FOM can change whatever they want.

yes and that's exactly what I was asking previously, what will they vote for ? is there a procedure for testing at hot temps or operating conditions which can provide reliable, robust and repeatable (and, mostly, indisputable) results ? I read different opinions on this topic; and, what if Mercedes PU is not able to pass this new test, and Mercedes can't redo the engine ? of course as fans we can legitimately say "well who cares if Mercedes don't pass the test, they gambled and lost", but in the real world F1/FIA/FOM can't afford that, we all know.

[Stu]

There are significant issues with doing a hot test. Unless there is a simple thermal valve that opens/closes according to temperature (or pressure) as it is the interaction of the various thermal expansions/contractions at operating speed, which cannot be modelled on a stripped engine.
As far as I am aware there is only one way to prove the non-swept volume in an ICE and that is measuring the fluid volume in each half of the cylinder (head & block) and the volume created between the two by whatever gasket/seal is used between the two.
You also need to randomise the tests to accommodate tolerances.

These ICE’s are massively boosted, so a cylinder pressure limitation would be a better metric for a limitation.

[AR3-GP]

There are significant issues with doing a hot test. Unless there is a simple thermal valve that opens/closes according to temperature (or pressure) as it is the interaction of the various thermal expansions/contractions at operating speed, which cannot be modelled on a stripped engine.
As far as I am aware there is only one way to prove the non-swept volume in an ICE and that is measuring the fluid volume in each half of the cylinder (head & block) and the volume created between the two by whatever gasket/seal is used between the two.
You also need to randomise the tests to accommodate tolerances.

These ICE’s are massively boosted, so a cylinder pressure limitation would be a better metric for a limitation.

The cylinder pressure limit is 4bar.

[koolway]

There is literature on working temp measurements
https://www.vehicular.isy.liu.se/Public ... 2_MKLE.pdf
But measuring hot is either messy (especially track side) and/or would include additional sensors... they wanted to get rid off for 2026 onward.

But lets imagine they rewrite all testing procedures accordingly, on time for race 1, revalidate all teams testing procedures in accordance to the new FIA-DOC-XXXXX
I can't imagine a world where Merc couldn't be compliant by producing new parts in a few days.
The biggest change would be to optimize PU software (ie fuel mix, spark, Energy management,...).

[De Wet]

There is literature on working temp measurements
https://www.vehicular.isy.liu.se/Public ... 2_MKLE.pdf
But measuring hot is either messy (especially track side) and/or would include additional sensors... they wanted to get rid off for 2026 onward.

But lets imagine they rewrite all testing procedures accordingly, on time for race 1, revalidate all teams testing procedures in accordance to the new FIA-DOC-XXXXX
I can't imagine a world where Merc couldn't be compliant by producing new parts in a few days.
The biggest change would be to optimize PU software (ie fuel mix, spark, Energy management,...).

[chrisc90]

I don’t agree that limiting fuel will solve it or be a way of running in the season. Lower fuel flow will just mean they can run/start with less fuel. Meaning it’s lighter.
The engine could’ve more thermally efficient at higher CRs, meaning they were at an advantage of fuel weight to start with, not taking into account the more power that comes with it.

If something is illegal/outside of regulations, then shouldn’t be allowed to race.
Sure there could be more teams protest against the merc powered teams.
Imagine if 8 teams refused to race against an illegal PU.

[FittingMechanics]

I would be surprised if other engines are not exceeding 16.0 when hot so I think Mercedes is in a strong position to demand equal testing and then all engines are illegal.

This outcome is unlikely since the others wouldn't ask for a test that they are not prepared to pass.

I'm not so convinced. When teams had super flexible wings, others also had flexible wings but to a lesser degree. It didn't stop them in asking for rigidity tests. They understand that if their wing flexes less then they will be less affected by change in the test.

It's possible everyone is above 16.0 at working temperatures but that "fix" for others is much simpler than for Mercedes. Or that the performance penalty of going back to 16.0 for someone at 16.2 vs someone at 17.5 is much smaller.

If something is illegal/outside of regulations, then shouldn’t be allowed to race.
Sure there could be more teams protest against the merc powered teams.
Imagine if 8 teams refused to race against an illegal PU.

7 teams.

[AR3-GP]

I'm not so convinced. When teams had super flexible wings, others also had flexible wings but to a lesser degree. It didn't stop them in asking for rigidity tests. They understand that if their wing flexes less then they will be less affected by change in the test.

It's possible everyone is above 16.0 at working temperatures but that "fix" for others is much simpler than for Mercedes. Or that the performance penalty of going back to 16.0 for someone at 16.2 vs someone at 17.5 is much smaller.

It's not a front wing. It's an engine. Either way, you can assume that the rival teams are prepared to pass a new test because otherwise they wouldn't be demanding changes to the test ahead of Melbourne.

Remember your original thesis:

I would be surprised if other engines are not exceeding 16.0 when hot so I think Mercedes is in a strong position to demand equal testing and then all engines are illegal.

Do you think the rival manufacturers will show up with illegal engines?

[koolway]

What i'm sure of, is if they review the testing procedure, Merc will go a long way to make sure no one is above 15.99999:1. Way beyond any currently accepted tolerance. Just to make every PU manufacturer having to work on it to make it compliant

[Sergej]

Imagine if 8 teams refused to race against an illegal PU.

I don't think that's a possibility because either the PU is deemed illegal (by whatever criteria they decide to use) and so Mercedes teams cannot race, or it is legal by the same criteria and then they can race.