2026 Drama: Alleged engine loophole

[SmallSoldier]

a new compromise has now been found, which in all likelihood will be adopted soon. The new compromise provides for bringing forward the deadline from August 1 to June 1. At the same time, there is a two-stage plan: From June 1, measurement in cold and hot conditions will apply for the rest of the 2026 season. From 2027, however, measurements will only be taken when hot.

Mercedes, on the other hand, is not supposed to reach the old limit of 18.0:1 with the , as originally rumoured, but at least in the region of 16.3:1. This enables more efficient combustion, which de facto leads to more power due to the maximum energy flow of 3,000 megajoules per hour from 10,500 revolutions per minute.

The new proposal is not only better for Mercedes' opponents because the deadline has been brought forward. Since measurements are only to be taken when hot from 2027, Mercedes is no longer able to do the trick. In measurements in both conditions, Mercedes would not have benefited so much from the trick, but would still have had an advantage.

https://www.motorsport-magazin.com/form ... er-jubeln/

Sounds good. A measurement when hot is a fair solution, as this is the only number that is relevant for the efficiency/power. Like this any expansion tricks are useless.
Still if the numbers in this article are true, there will be a big advantage for Merc through this season. With the issue for them, that they need to dial back on CR middle of this season.

Wait… Didn’t we bring all the pitch forks because it was supposed to be “At ALL Times” and now it doesn’t matter if teams are above it at ambient temperature? lol

[basti313]

https://www.motorsport-magazin.com/form ... er-jubeln/

Sounds good. A measurement when hot is a fair solution, as this is the only number that is relevant for the efficiency/power. Like this any expansion tricks are useless.
Still if the numbers in this article are true, there will be a big advantage for Merc through this season. With the issue for them, that they need to dial back on CR middle of this season.

Wait… Didn’t we bring all the pitch forks because it was supposed to be “At ALL Times” and now it doesn’t matter if teams are above it at ambient temperature? lol

Well, it does not matter at ambient, right?

The point is: If it is "all the time" and a normal engine drops from 16:1 to around 15:1 when hot...then everyone is forced to do expansion tricks, that have no relevance to anything else but this arbitrary rule and cost a fortune to develop. That is nonsense.

So I think the smart thing to do is to limit the ratio when hot. Like this no one needs to build a completely new engine.

[f1isgood]

We went from CR growing to CR shrinking to CR growing but not growing too much.

[SmallSoldier]

Sounds good. A measurement when hot is a fair solution, as this is the only number that is relevant for the efficiency/power. Like this any expansion tricks are useless.
Still if the numbers in this article are true, there will be a big advantage for Merc through this season. With the issue for them, that they need to dial back on CR middle of this season.

Wait… Didn’t we bring all the pitch forks because it was supposed to be “At ALL Times” and now it doesn’t matter if teams are above it at ambient temperature? lol

Well, it does not matter at ambient, right?

The point is: If it is "all the time" and a normal engine drops from 16:1 to around 15:1 when hot...then everyone is forced to do expansion tricks, that have no relevance to anything else but this arbitrary rule and cost a fortune to develop. That is nonsense.

So I think the smart thing to do is to limit the ratio when hot. Like this no one needs to build a completely new engine.

Moving the goal post… The rule was simple, 16.1 max… they wanted clarification, they added at ambient… now we want to change it to be “only” when hot? And you were the one calling others cheaters?

The hypocrisy is high on this one.

[fourmula1]

Wait… Didn’t we bring all the pitch forks because it was supposed to be “At ALL Times” and now it doesn’t matter if teams are above it at ambient temperature? lol

Well, it does not matter at ambient, right?

The point is: If it is "all the time" and a normal engine drops from 16:1 to around 15:1 when hot...then everyone is forced to do expansion tricks, that have no relevance to anything else but this arbitrary rule and cost a fortune to develop. That is nonsense.

So I think the smart thing to do is to limit the ratio when hot. Like this no one needs to build a completely new engine.

Moving the goal post… The rule was simple, 16.1 max… they wanted clarification, they added at ambient… now we want to change it to be “only” when hot? And you were the one calling others cheaters?

The hypocrisy is high on this one.

And we still don't even know what MB are supposedly doing! Or if the temperature tests will do anything at all! A few people have hypothesized a sort of fluid dynamics/valving trick where gases basically close off a chamber and temperature will be irrelevant to the test. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong on the first statement.

[catent]

Wait… Didn’t we bring all the pitch forks because it was supposed to be “At ALL Times” and now it doesn’t matter if teams are above it at ambient temperature? lol

Well, it does not matter at ambient, right?

The point is: If it is "all the time" and a normal engine drops from 16:1 to around 15:1 when hot...then everyone is forced to do expansion tricks, that have no relevance to anything else but this arbitrary rule and cost a fortune to develop. That is nonsense.

So I think the smart thing to do is to limit the ratio when hot. Like this no one needs to build a completely new engine.

Moving the goal post… The rule was simple, 16.1 max… they wanted clarification, they added at ambient… now we want to change it to be “only” when hot? And you were the one calling others cheaters?

The hypocrisy is high on this one.

That (subjective, ambiguous, not clearly defined) "ambient" language was added with respect to the measurement procedure. And it's not clear to me that it was ever part of the rule, but simply clarification regarding how compression ratio would be checked during pre-session scrutineering.

There is still a line in the regulations stating that compression ratio is not to exceed 16:1 on any given piston. Full-stop. That stipulation never changed and has existed throughout this entire process, and so I don't see how anyone breaching that 16:1 compression ratio cap could argue (in good faith) that they are not violating the intention rules/regulations.

Using your own logic, they wanted further clarification following the addition of "ambient", and so the FIA - just as they did when they added "ambient" - is now further clarifying the measurement in an effort to better align enforcement with intent. If you had no problem with the FIA adding "ambient" in October of last year, why would it be a problem for them to add further clarification now?

To be clear, I don't really care what compression ratio any given engine operates at. I do care that teams are effectively complying with the objective regulations as intended, so that competition is evenhanded.

[upsidedowntoast]

Sounds good. A measurement when hot is a fair solution, as this is the only number that is relevant for the efficiency/power. Like this any expansion tricks are useless.
Still if the numbers in this article are true, there will be a big advantage for Merc through this season. With the issue for them, that they need to dial back on CR middle of this season.

Wait… Didn’t we bring all the pitch forks because it was supposed to be “At ALL Times” and now it doesn’t matter if teams are above it at ambient temperature? lol

Well, it does not matter at ambient, right?

The point is: If it is "all the time" and a normal engine drops from 16:1 to around 15:1 when hot...then everyone is forced to do expansion tricks, that have no relevance to anything else but this arbitrary rule and cost a fortune to develop. That is nonsense.

So I think the smart thing to do is to limit the ratio when hot. Like this no one needs to build a completely new engine.

No, this is ridiculously hypocritical. If you want the compression ratio to be in compliance at all times then it should be both at ambient and at hot.

[Ferry]

The point is: If it is "all the time" and a normal engine drops from 16:1 to around 15:1 when hot...

Could just use 15:1 in the rules, and specify that it will be calculated from the cad-files.

[Stu]

Ambient, from a technical perspective, is a reliable test parameter. ‘Hot’ should be ‘at operating temperature’, but in the absence of a thermostat, what can be considered hot? Each installation (not just each ICE-type) will have a different operating temperature, never mind a different thermal mass. Both of these would/could affect the results of a ‘hot’ test.

[Mattchu]

This whole episode has created at least one thing! Folk are talking about the new F1 season

For me its been a load of hot air! or shold that be compressed air.

I`ll get me coat...

[Stu]

This whole episode has created at least one thing! Folk are talking about the new F1 season

For me its been a load of hot air! or shold that be compressed air.

I`ll get me coat...

[upsidedowntoast]

It looks like the core of this issue is that Mercedes figured out how to make their CR go *up* at operating temp instead of down, not simply the fact that they surpassed the 16:1 limit at all.

My personal take: it's understandable that everyone else is mad that they can go over 16:1 when operational due to the "must comply at all times" wording. Ok, fine, add in the 130C test. But then to also eliminate the ambient test? That's no longer about enforcing the rules fairly then, that's just balance-of-power shenanigans.

For what it's worth, I hated the Mercedes 2014-2021 years because they were so boring, but at this point I find myself actively hoping that it's another McLaren 2024-2025 situation where this perceived advantage gets banned and nothing changes anyway. Either that or I hope the FIA and FOM just say "you can have the test at both temps or we keep the old rules".

[hollus]

If 18:1 was estimated to provide 30HP, then the 16.3:1 would provide about 5 HP?
If it is 16.3, we are still reading flickers from shades of reflections of ghosts of rumors...

[Frank73]

This whole episode has created at least one thing! Folk are talking about the new F1 season

For me its been a load of hot air! or shold that be compressed air.

I`ll get me coat...

Yeah but if someone is awarded easy wins in a long row by letting him walk away with a cheat, people will soon stop talking about formula1 and what is more will soon stop watching

[Badger]

This whole episode has created at least one thing! Folk are talking about the new F1 season

For me its been a load of hot air! or shold that be compressed air.

I`ll get me coat...

Yeah but if someone is awarded easy wins in a long row by letting him walk away with a cheat, people will soon stop talking about formula1 and what is more will soon stop watching

Team Total 2025 prize money
Ferrari $277.7m
Mercedes $230.8m
Red Bull $202.9m
McLaren $165.8m
Aston $109.3m
Alpine $99.9m
Haas $91.5m
VCARB $82m
Williams $77.2m
Sauber $63.1m