Amendments to 2026 regulations approved unanimously
Mercedes had been suspected of gaining an advantage
Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, and rival engine manufacturers have reached a compromise solution to tackle the controversy surrounding Mercedes that had threatened to overshadow next week’s start of the season in Australia.
The sport is entering a new era with the biggest changes in decades to the engine and chassis regulations. Engine compression ratios have been a major talking point, with Mercedes suspected of exploiting a loophole to gain performance through the thermal expansion of components and there is talk of possible protests after the Melbourne race. Mercedes have said any change will make no difference to them.
The FIA said in a statement on Saturday that amendments to the 2026 F1 regulations had been approved unanimously by an e-vote of its World Motor Sport Council. “A significant effort has been invested in finding a solution to the topic of the compression ratio,” it said.
