F1 engine controversy: FIA and teams discuss solutions to avoid protests at the Australian GP. The FIA and F1 teams are discussing possible solutions to the Mercedes power unit compression ratio.

The Barcelona shakedown appears to have confirmed on track the superiority of the Mercedes power unit. Manufacturers are currently discussing with the FIA which interventions could be possible in order to find a compromise that would prevent the championship from starting with controversies and official complaints.

The engine issue remains a sensitive topic ahead of the start of the 2026 season in Melbourne. Nikolas Tombazis, FIA single-seater technical director, has made it clear that the case related to the compression ratio of the Mercedes power unit – which under hot operating conditions could reach values higher than the 16:1 limit set by the regulations – should be resolved before the new regulatory cycle begins in Australia, in order to avoid the risk of the season opening with formal protests.

“We absolutely do not want the championship to start with people interpreting the regulations in slightly different ways,” Nikolas Tombazis explained. “I think it is fair to say that there are areas where the rules are not clear to everyone. The main objective is to make sure that the matter is resolved in a definitive and absolute way before the first race, so that there are no further discussions. We want to provide clarity by following all the existing governance processes, then if someone wants to protest, that will be their responsibility. We are still working on what the solution might be.”

The Barcelona shakedown, which must be taken with caution because clearly no one was pushing for outright performance, still provided some useful indications. Excluding Audi and Honda, which experienced some initial teething problems, the other engine manufacturers accumulated significant mileage, dispelling fears similar to those seen at the start of the hybrid era in 2014. Mercedes completed 1,134 laps across three teams, Ferrari reached 991 laps, also with three teams, while Red Bull Powertrains Ford gathered data over 624 laps with its two closely linked structures.

The obvious question is: what advantage could the Silver Arrows gain from a compression ratio on the six-cylinder internal combustion engine that goes beyond 16:1? The indications collected point to the two-tenths of a second that had previously been calculated on a purely theoretical basis.

The FIA had given the green light to the Mercedes solution, which complies with the regulatory constraints during checks carried out at ambient temperature. However, Honda, Ferrari, Audi and apparently also RBPT are seeking guarantees regarding its legality. Enrico Gualtieri, head of Ferrari’s engine department, had been clear on the matter: “We are still addressing the topic together with the FIA. There was a technical meeting and we will have another one in the coming days. So the issue is still on the table. We firmly trust that the matter will be handled in the correct way, by examining the procedures and governance provided for by the regulations.”

This naturally raises the question of which interventions could put everyone on the same page. Installing a sensor inside the combustion chamber would be the simplest solution, but introducing such a ‘novelty’ would require unanimous agreement from all teams, and it is easy to imagine that reaching such consensus would be extremely difficult.

In the meantime, some parties are said to have submitted requests to the FIA regarding the interpretation of certain grey areas within the regulations. One option would be to intervene on the internal combustion engine to reduce the gap to Mercedes before the power checks scheduled by the ADUO at the sixth Grand Prix of the season. Ideally, this ‘catch-up’ would be allowed outside the existing cost cap constraints. It appears that Ferrari would not be opposed to this possibility, but it is difficult to see such approval being granted.

Another option could involve ‘penalising’ the energy content of the Petronas fuel supplied to Mercedes, in an attempt to equalise performance. This would be a solution reminiscent of the one that heavily affected Ferrari in 2019, when the FIA introduced a second fuel flow meter, while waiting for the International Federation to approve, through the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities), the possibility of intervening on the power units. However, how could the theoretical advantage of Mercedes be measured without having access to precise and reliable data?

A third option could also be on the table: requesting a self-certification from Brixworth, in which Mercedes would formally state in writing that its power unit complies with the regulations under all operating conditions.

We now await the FIA’s final decision, bearing in mind that there are irreconcilable positions on an issue that risks dividing the paddock even before the engines are fired up for the 2026 season. A compromise will most likely have to be found, but it is unlikely to fully satisfy everyone involved.