Mercedes rivals plotting F1 engine rule change for Melbourne
www.the-race.comMercedes’ rivals are hoping to pull together a proposal to change Formula 1’s engine compression ratio rules in time for the start of the season in Australia, The Race has learned
16:1 measured at ambient temps
That sentence was added last year very late in the development cycle – too late for Mercedes’ competition to adapt. It was not present in earlier versions of the 2026 rulebook.
See https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/fia_2026_formula_1_technical_regulations_issue_8_-_2024-06-24.pdf if you don’t believe me.
So basically the FIA probably told Mercedes it’s fine, and the other teams are just finding out it now.