F1 Today | McLaren found out by the FIA? Rosberg's mechanics withheld reliability issues from Hamilton

The FIA has updated the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations, specifically targeting tyre cooling systems after months of murmurs that McLaren might be pushing the limits. Since Brazil last year, rivals have quietly questioned whether the Woking team’s brake and wheel assembly setup gave them an edge in managing tyre temperatures. Multiple inspections by the FIA found nothing illegal—just smart engineering—but the suspicions didn’t go away.

Now the World Motorsport Council has tightened the rules. A new clause makes it clear: any system that heats, cools, or maintains the temperature of the entire wheel assembly, outside of what's explicitly allowed, is banned. That includes not just heating but cooling too, a key detail that seems aimed at whatever McLaren may or may not have been doing. Whether this rule shift was driven by direct team complaints or new findings is unknown, but it will be enforced starting 2026.

Nico Rosberg has shed new light on how toxic things got at Mercedes during his 2016 title battle with Lewis Hamilton. According to Rosberg, the tension between them spread beyond just the drivers—mechanics and engineers took sides. In some cases, his crew even withheld reliability issues from Hamilton’s side. That internal division got so bad that Toto Wolff had to step in and swap both drivers’ mechanics overnight in what Rosberg called “shock therapy”—and, surprisingly, it worked.

Rosberg also reflected on how the breakdown in his relationship with Hamilton happened gradually but became impossible to control. The crashes, the blame game, the lack of real communication—it all added up. He said they never sat down for an honest conversation, and that made reconciliation impossible. The rivalry that started with mutual respect eventually consumed the whole team environment.

In terms of the Briton's relationship with his team, it seems like Ferrari are not listening to the seven-time world champion, and they are not on the same page in terms of communication.

Meanwhile, there is a rumour about a new name being considered to take over as Ferrari's team principal, Corriere della Sera reported.