Why Mercedes will keep its engine edge even with new hot checks from June. Mercedes’ engine dominance is expected to continue even after hot checks are introduced from June.

The Mercedes W17 looked extraordinary in the season-opening F1 Australian Grand Prix, powered by an engine that seems light-years ahead of the competition. In qualifying, the W17 created a huge gap over its rivals, leaving the closest challengers more than eight-tenths behind. During the race, the gap narrowed slightly, with Ferrari providing a strong challenge until the Virtual Safety Car triggered by Isack Hadjar came into play.

After that moment, Mercedes pulled away, and it is unclear whether they managed the second stint or not. The numbers show that the SF-26 finished the race about 15 seconds behind, losing around 2-3 tenths per lap. The question now is: will Mercedes maintain this advantage when hot checks are introduced from June 1st? Federico Albano, an F1 engineer and well-known FormulaPassion contributor, shared his opinion in this exclusive interview.

What will happen with Mercedes

When asked whether anything would change with the hot checks designed to detect tricks in compression ratios, Federico Albano replied: “This is a delicate topic. I think there are many shades of gray. On one hand, if there is a clever way to do it within the rules, in the end you respect what is written. You even have a little bit of the right to do it, which is why disqualifications are not mentioned, because it’s a borderline, ad hoc trick to stay within the regulations.”

He also added that exploring these gray areas is part of F1’s spirit: “I think a regulation that eliminates all initiative is also an unhealthy regulation, because otherwise, what’s the point of Formula 1? We might as well make it a one-make series and solve the problem.”

Hot checks from June: minimal impact expected

Focusing on what could happen from June 1st, Federico Albano explained: “With hot measurements for everyone, if Mercedes lost those 15 horsepower of thermal advantage, I don’t think it would be a huge tragedy, since most of the power comes from the electric motor anyway. We shouldn’t expect Mercedes to lose a massive advantage from that alone. We’ll see. Of course, it’s better to have those extra 15 hp than not.”

Mercedes might also deliberately hold back during the first races due to a factor coming into play from the Miami GP onwards: “It’s all about hiding in the early races. This is not just to conceal potential but also for the famous ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities), because the evaluation of team power takes place over the first six races” (up to the Miami GP). “So teams with more power have no interest in showing it immediately.”

The strategic games played off-track regarding engine maps and regulatory compliance will be just as vital as the battles on the asphalt. Navigating the fine line between innovation and regulation remains the ultimate challenge for engineers striving for glory in the modern era of Formula 1.

Wile the upcoming FIA hot checks may slightly trim the thermal output of the Mercedes power unit, the team’s overall hybrid efficiency and strategic management of the ADUO evaluation period suggest their current dominance is far from over.