Mercedes wave the white flag in heated engine row: 'Not worth the fight'

Talks held in Bahrain yesterday between the FIA and power unit manufacturers, aimed at resolving the ongoing controversy surrounding engine compression ratios, have led to a fresh regulatory proposal.

The plan would introduce stricter verification procedures from 1 August 2026, requiring teams to demonstrate that the compression ratio complies with the rules not only under ambient conditions but also when measured at a representative operating temperature of 130°C.

“We said it all along that this looks like a storm in a teacup, the whole thing,” Wolff said during today’s press conference in Bahrain.

He then added: “We also want to be good citizens in the sport, because it doesn't make a big difference with a changed opinion. Philosophically, you can disagree with it, because I believe regs are there to be made, and you keep the FA close to you, and that's how it should be.”

Wolff ultimately concluded his remarks with a series of questions: “If you have four other PUs that are putting immense pressure on the FIA at a certain stage, what choice do we have than not to play? We were pretty comfortable in even having a protest going on on Friday in Melbourne, but is this what we want?”

After forcefully rejecting the claims surrounding the alleged compression-ratio “trick”, the Mercedes team principal also pushed back against fresh speculation involving Petronas fuel, which paddock rumours suggested had yet to receive approval ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.

Wolff dismissed the allegations in blunt terms, describing the accusations over both the engine regulations and the fuel situation as baseless speculation that continues to resurface without any factual foundation. He stressed that such stories tend to gain momentum despite lacking substance, adding that new rumours seem to emerge constantly regardless of their credibility.