2026 Drama: Alleged engine loophole

[Seanspeed]

Which engine was redesigned by Ferrari? The one that burned more fuel than allowed?

You mean the precedent by which the FIA required a team to readjust how their engine worked to fit the intention of the regulations that they were quite overtly skirting nearly overnight?

Honestly, a pretty solid example to bring up, thanks.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

The talk about sensors, how would a sensor measure the geometric CR at racing temperatures?

It wouldn’t, but it would measure cylinder pressure.

THIS!!! This is the only solution: insert a sensor into the cylinder and set a maximum pressure value inside it. If this pressure limit is exceeded, the ECU reduces the fuel flow. This is the best compromise in this issue for all parties involved. And this can be done elegantly by issuing a TD, as has been done in the past (2022, for example), and no one has complained that the regulations are being violated. It is an effective, very inexpensive method that avoids the need to redesign the ICE, software, fuel, and so on. A single sensor coded and supplied by the FIA, and in addition, only a single line of code is entered into the ECU software...

Where in the rules does it cap dynamic pressure though? It doesn't does it?

The rule is about geometric CR, not dynamic. So this would require a change to the rules.

How would your sensor measure geometric CR?

[Martin Keene]

The talk about sensors, how would a sensor measure the geometric CR at racing temperatures?

It wouldn’t, but it would measure cylinder pressure.

THIS!!! This is the only solution: insert a sensor into the cylinder and set a maximum pressure value inside it. If this pressure limit is exceeded, the ECU reduces the fuel flow. This is the best compromise in this issue for all parties involved. And this can be done elegantly by issuing a TD, as has been done in the past (2022, for example), and no one has complained that the regulations are being violated. It is an effective, very inexpensive method that avoids the need to redesign the ICE, software, fuel, and so on. A single sensor coded and supplied by the FIA, and in addition, only a single line of code is entered into the ECU software...

Apart from the problem of peak cylinder pressure =/= compression ratio.

If I have an engine with a CR of 16:1 and I run a PCP of ~165 bar with 20 degrees of advanced ignition timing (all numbers picked at random), with a mechanically unchanged engine, if the ignition timing is advanced further, to say 22 or 23 degrees, the PCP *will* increase, to probably something like 168 bar because the burn of the mixture in the cylinder has started earlier in the cycle and starts in a bigger volume of space and as the engine rotates as normal that space will get smaller.

All of this without changing the mechanical geometry of the engine or the compression ratio.

I know they are boost pressure limited, but a boost pressure increase would do the same thing, again without a CR change. There are many many factors that effect PCP.

[Waz]

Hamilton calls for a level playing field.

there’s whispers of extra power that they have that the rest of us don’t… The compression rate, sort of thing… Hopefully that gets sorted and the FIA takes care of that and makes sure that we’re all starting on equal playing field.”

https://x.com/fiagirly/status/2021610431098331331

Vader turns against Sidious. The PR master taught his student well, too well...

About to find out the real value of having the sports biggest star in your car.

If there is a Mercedes advantage, it could relegate Ferrari out of the top 5. Hamilton scraping over 11th... Or...

The FIA introduce a TD that nerfs Mercedes, relegating some teams behind Ferrari for sure, and Hamilton is fighting for podiums again.

I guess the question is, which will bring more money? Hamilton vs Max vs Charles, or a Russell vs Norris vs Piastri fight?

[Matt2725]

Ted is reporting on sky f1 that he believes fia/f1 don’t want to get involved in anything controversial so will ignore the other teams and not change the testing method

Notorious pro-merc guy though

Notorious pro-Hamilton guy you mean. He has no or little affection for Russell or Antonelli.

[Sergej]

FWIW Autoracer are reporting that they will vote for changing the testing procedure.

[Matt2725]

FWIW Autoracer are reporting that they will vote for changing the testing procedure.

They're not. They're using Wolff's quotes from yesterday and making a story out of it.

As things stand nothing has changed at this moment.

Autoracer are wholly unreliable on this subject, as they're largely coming from a pro Ferrari (obviously) position.

[SB15]

Mercedes case resolved: towards the signing of a 'new' PU regulation

[Matt2725]

Mercedes case resolved: towards the signing of a 'new' PU regulation

As said, Autoracer are using Wolff's quotes to assume something. Nobody knows if or actually when any changes will come into force.

[Emag]

Mercedes case resolved: towards the signing of a 'new' PU regulation

And how it was resolved exactly? I'll wait for official statements. Surely they must have given them time to change things if a new regulation was signed. Otherwise we are about to get an Indianapolis 2005 type of situation in Australia with half the teams missing

[Rikhart]

Mercedes case resolved: towards the signing of a 'new' PU regulation

And how it was resolved exactly? I'll wait for official statements. Surely they must have given them time to change things if a new regulation was signed. Otherwise we are about to get an Indianapolis 2005 type of situation in Australia with half the teams missing

Since when has anyone made any official statements after this kind of illegality being discovered and fixed? Never. No one will say they were cheating, but there will be something corrected. Maybe in 20 years time we might discover what really happened

[Matt2725]

I still am of the opinion that there will be no change until at the very earliest the summer break. More likely the 2027 season.

[Sergej]

Mercedes case resolved: towards the signing of a 'new' PU regulation

And how it was resolved exactly? I'll wait for official statements. Surely they must have given them time to change things if a new regulation was signed. Otherwise we are about to get an Indianapolis 2005 type of situation in Australia with half the teams missing

Title is obviously a bait (autoracer's quality is going down lately). You have to read the "case resolution" as "they are going to vote for changing testing procedure". Then, if that's true or invented, another matter.

[Emag]

Mercedes case resolved: towards the signing of a 'new' PU regulation

And how it was resolved exactly? I'll wait for official statements. Surely they must have given them time to change things if a new regulation was signed. Otherwise we are about to get an Indianapolis 2005 type of situation in Australia with half the teams missing

Since when has anyone made any official statements after this kind of illegality being discovered and fixed? Never. No one will say they were cheating, but there will be something corrected. Maybe in 20 years time we might discover what really happened

When there's regulation change that impacts multiple teams we do tend to get statements though.

[SB15]

According to
@autosprint, the FIA ​​carried out static hot checks with the car stationary in order to measure the compression ratio of the Mercedes power unit.

The tests were successfully completed. The PUAC (Power Unit Advisor Committee) will meet soon to finalize the measurement procedures, namely, testing at rest but replicating the powertrain's operating conditions on the track.



I don't know if it's true, but that pretty much ends the debate/controversy and could also explains Antonelli's absence from track this morning.