As much as Mercedes may wish us to believe there’s “nothing to see here – lets move along,” the row over the so called engine loophole exploited by Mercedes has seen two emergency meetings called this week. It appears the results of these gatherings will either defuse the row or explode it into a massive talking point going into Melbourne.
Mercedes are said to have developed their internal engine with clever metallurgic components which when hot allow the maximum compression to rise above the FIA’s mandated 16.1 ratio. The FIA test the engines’ compression rates when the car is stationary and the power unit is cold.
Engineers, F1 regulators and the representatives of the ,manufacturers will seek to thrash out the issue before it can become an ugly distraction at the 2026 season opener in Australia in five weeks time. Whilst the issue is one of a technical nature, the decision will most definitely be a political one.
Urgent meeting called today
The first meeting today will see gross of engineers look to refine a framework for testing compression rates at operating temperatures rather than ambient conditions. Then on Thursday, the Power Unit Advisory Committee will meet and the matter will be escalated from one of a theoretical nature to one of politics.
To date, the FIA has sought to play down the matter, restating the regulations and the procedures outlined for testing. Yet Ferrari, Honda and Audi have united as one, meeting in private to ensure they are all singing from the same hymn sheet.
The concern is based on a somewhat prophetic comment made by Adrian Newey at the 2025 Autosport awards in January of last year. The now Aston Martin team boss suggested the new era of F1 could be engine dominant and if one manufacturer were to ace their design, the advantage could be baked in for several more years.
“There has to be a chance that one manufacturer will come out well on top, and it will become a power-unit-dominated regulation, at least to start with. There’s a chance that if it’s on the combustion engine side of it, that somebody comes up with a dominant combustion engine that will last through the length of the formula, because the way the regulations are written, it’s quite difficult for people who are behind to catch up,” Newey remarked.
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Newey’s ominous prediction
Well the clever Mercedes trick is most definitely part of the internal combustion engine and there are those in the FIA and FOM who are concerned there will be a repeat of the last F1 engine change of regulations, which saw Mercedes dominate the sport for the best part of a decade.
So Ferrari, Honda and Audi’s complaint will in now way fall on deaf ears. The FIA does have a catch up procedure which would allow the other manufacturers to copy the Mercedes trick, but the effect on this year would be minimal. Unlike with area and mechanical annual upgrades the teams make to their cars, power unit updates have a far longer lead time.
It could be 6-8 weeks from redesign to producing a final solution, then given the importance of reliability and the effect of engine penalties another 6-8 weeks to bench test. The for a manufacturer like Ferrari they must produce all new power units not for just two cars, but for Cadillac and Haas F1 as well. Ensuring the pool of engines becomes identical is the world of another 6-8 weeks.
Under the current catch up system the FIA will measure the output of each of the power units across the first six race weekends and should any suffer more than a 3% deficit to the leader in the field, then they will be allowed extra resources to upgrade their powertrain design.
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Re-design PU lead times are massive
Round 6 is due to be held on May 3rd in Miami, which given the above lead times wold mean any upgraded engine would debut towards the end of September if all went according to plan. The season would be approaching the three quarters mark and so the Mercedes advantage should see them way out in front.
It is perfectly possible to design and fit a standard sensor across all the F1 engines, which would sense on track if any were exceeding the mandated 16.1 pressure ratio. Yet the politics surrounding the matter is whether Mercedes have merely found a silver bullet in the phrasing of the technical regulations, something in F1 which is as old as time itself?
The political decision to be made is whether there silver arrows are in breach of the spirit of the F1 rules. The maximum compression rate is stated clearly, its just the current method of testing fails to account for any potential expansion once the combustion engine is running hot.
A rule rewrite is out of the question, given at this point in time, unanimity would be required and Mercedes are unlikely to play ball. Further, were Mercedes forced to change their engine to fall in line with any new regulation, we would see a similar lead time required as stated above. Again Mercedes get a year of grace and a potential advantage of between 0.25-0.4 seconds a lap.
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It is indeed an F1 crisis
To suggest this is an F1 crisis week, would not be understating the matter in any way shape or form. Talks between the parties prior to the Barcelona pre-season test did make some progress, with a partial agreement over the principles required to settle the matter.
Veteran F1 writer, Leo Turini of Italy, recently penned in his article that despite the Mercedes advantage having a big impact, there was an unusual calm back at base in Maranello. Ferrari’s head of power trains, Enrico Gualtieri, was also measured when voicing his opinions after the last PU meeting.
“We are still discussing [the topic] with them [the FIA],” he said last month. “We had a meeting, a technical workshop and we are going to have an additional one in the next days, up to the [next] PUAC meeting.
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Ferrari unusually calm
“So we are approaching the topic together with them [the FIA]. We are certainly trusting them for managing the topic in the proper way, going through the procedures and the governance that is in place by regulation. And we completely trust that the process [to resolve the matter] could come in the next days and weeks.”
Indeed as Turning suggested, this is not like the vices of old where accusations and tempers are let fly. Maybe this is because the issue is so very important, the likes of Ferrari, Audi and Honda do not want the matter to be kicked into the long grass because its too much trouble to solve.
Mercedes will argue they have all through their design and build process provided copies of the specifications including drawings which the FIA have already passed as acceptable. However, the spectre of another era of Mercedes dominance will sit heavily on the shoulders of the FIA officials and the teams will be ready to escalate the matter via the protest procedures as soon as competitive action takes place down under.
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NEXT ARTICLE – Newey’s “extreme” Aston Martin design – genius or a flop?
Aston Martin’s ambitions under the ownership of billionaire Lawrence Stroll are a moonshot to propel a midfield team to punch with the best at the front of the Formula One grid. State of the art facilities have been built in Silverstone costing hundreds of millions, along with the latest wind tunnel design and a host of ‘rocket science’ simulation tools.
The Canadian has also assembled a management dream team with Adrian Newey now leading the way as team principal, along with Andy Cowell and ex-Ferrari technical wizard Enrico Cardile. Cowell is credited as being the mastermind behind the all dominent Mercedes hybrid powertrain first launched in 2014, which won seven drivers championships and eight constructor titles for the Brackley based team.
Newey was originally recruited as the managing pattern for all things technical, although in a surprise late season announcement in 2025, he was promoted to team boss whilst Cowell moved across to become the linch pin between the team and Honda…CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
