Andi76 wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026, 15:08
I haven't read or followed the current state of the discussions here, but I would still like to say a few words about it, because I find the topic problematic in many ways. First of all, because an engine that has a compression ratio of 18 instead of 16-1 when warm, regardless of the reason and solution, is undoubtedly illegal.
The current debate about the 2026 Mercedes engine and its alleged dependence on thermal conditions for compliance (or exceeding) compression limits raises fundamental questions for me about the integrity of the technical regulations. A design that has a compression ratio of 16:1 when cold but rises to 18:1 when warm is, according to the wording of the FIA regulations for 2026, undoubtedly illegal.
The most important anchor point for this argument can be found in Article C1.5, which establishes the principle of "continuous conformity." A Formula 1 car must comply with the rules "at all times during a competition in their entirety." This clause leaves no room for an engine that only expands into a more powerful but illegal state when heated up during operation. Since technical inspection (scrutineering) and physical inspection of the hardware are usually carried out in a static state in accordance with Article C1.7, the hardware must already comply with the specifications beyond any doubt at this stage. "Growing" into a different geometry due to heat negates controllability and breaks with the principle that the car must be legal at every moment of the race weekend.
In addition, the strict prohibition of variable geometry systems under Article C5.7 applies here. If an engine increases its compression ratio from 16:1 to 18:1 solely through material expansion, thermal physics effectively acts as a dynamic actuator. Such a change in combustion characteristics of more than 12% is no longer a negligible tolerance, but a functional geometry change that aims to circumvent the static limits of the homologation dossier.
What makes the whole thing even more serious is that it is basically the same thing that Ferrari did in 2019, which is now clearly branded as cheating and was also judged as such. While Ferrari used the time component at the time to inject more fuel than allowed between the measurement intervals of the fuel flow sensor, this concept now uses the temperature component. In both cases, a dynamic state (oscillation frequency at Ferrari, thermal expansion at Mercedes) is abused to render a static measurement by the FIA worthless. The aim is to decouple the physical reality on the race track from the measurable reality in the pit lane.
In conclusion, it should be noted that, according to Article C1.6, the FIA expressly has the right to prohibit technologies that serve solely to undermine the intention of the regulations. An engine whose compression ratio deviates so massively from the base values during operation undermines the level playing field and the technical monitorability of the sport. Mercedes' argument that such an interpretation has been approved by the FIA directly contradicts the requirement for hardware conformity "at all times." Anyone who uses physics to dynamically shift the hardware limits of the regulations is not practicing engineering in the spirit of the sport, but rather systematically circumventing the rules. That said, we must come back to Ferrari here as well—Ferrari also had "the FIA's assurances" at the time, as Binotto said.
So if the Mercedes engine is classified as legal today, if it really does what is rumored, then in my opinion the FIA would make itself completely untrustworthy and incompetent. Because you can't say today that it's legal for Mercedes to abuse a dynamic state to circumvent a measurement when yesterday it was illegal for Ferrari. That would be a double standard. If it's Ferrari, it's illegal; if it's Mercedes, it's legal. It also exposes the rules to ridicule. Because the rules are so clear on this point that they couldn't be any clearer. Then there's no need for rules anymore if the FIA a) measures with double standards and without any consistency and b) if every scandal is circumvented. Because ultimately, it would be a scandal if such a Mercedes engine were classified as illegal. Mercedes would probably leave F1, (justifiably) branded as cheaters, just like Ferrari in 2019. The 2026 F1 World Championship would probably lose five teams or have to disqualify them, causing a huge outcry worldwide and billions in losses. However, one must also ask oneself: how credible are you if you don't take action? What message are you sending? Why write regulations at all if a team with enough customers can do whatever it wants? Don't the others get fed up at some point with always being the idiots while others get away scot-free?
Sorry, but for me, we have reached a point where you have the choice between exposing yourself to ridicule and being superfluous, or justifying your existence and proving your substance, significance, justice, and necessity. If that doesn't happen, everything is just a farce, because you are clearly saying, "You can do whatever you want." You don't even have to follow clear rules yourself, because we can't do anything about it, we are powerless. We can't classify half the starting field as illegal, the scandal would always be too big, as would the loss of image and money. But the rest of you, even if you are always at a disadvantage as a result, you have to comply with everything, and if you don't, you pay and you get punished.
So if there is any truth to the rumors, in my opinion this is a historic moment for the FIA and its existence, as well as for justice and equal treatment in F1. If I were Ferrari president and Mercedes had done this and gotten away with it, I would a) demand the money back that the "penalty" cost in 2019 and b) leave F1 immediately.
