The alleged engine tricks by Mercedes are still the main topic in the paddock, even as Formula 1 has started the first tests in Bahrain. Rivals have been lobbying for regulation changes for some time and the FIA has now confirmed it wants to have a solution in place before the opening race in Melbourne. Team principal Toto Wolff does not rule out that there will be consequences — and that the Mercedes teams could, in that case, ‘be the ones to suffer’.
For those who missed it: Mercedes is suspected of increasing the compression ratios in the engine. During the FIA’s static tests the power unit complies with all regulations, but once it comes up to temperature on track it could, through thermal expansion, deliver more power. Rivals immediately took the matter to the FIA, which has since confirmed it wants to have a solution before the start of the season.
‘Then we’re the ones in trouble’
Mercedes and its customer teams — including Williams and McLaren, who readily make use of these developments — keep stressing the engine meets all the requirements. Still, Toto Wolff won’t say with certainty that the FIA won’t step in. “To be honest, I don’t really understand why this has suddenly become such a big issue,” the Austrian said during a media session in Bahrain. “Until last Friday I had the impression nothing would change. I even read on an Italian website that something will indeed change; I would have liked to have heard that earlier,” he joked.
Behind that remark, though, genuine concerns are lurking. Wolff is fully aware that Mercedes could be in trouble if the other teams close ranks. “It’s not just about the teams; you also need the votes of the sport’s governing body and the commercial rights holder,” he explained. “But if they all share the same view, then you’re the one in trouble,” he admitted. “In that respect I think lobbying from other manufacturers has ramped up over the past months: secret meetings, secret letters to the FIA. That has led to this situation.”
‘Mercedes would not contest consequences’
It is now for the FIA to decide whether to act against Mercedes’ innovations. Toto Wolff is awaiting the ruling but is already preparing for possible consequences. “This sport is full of surprises,” he continued. “Throughout the development process the FIA has consistently assured us that we were operating within the rules. The performance gain is small, but I think our rivals just felt a bit aggrieved.” Wolff made clear Mercedes would not challenge any intervention. “If the regulations are changed, we must accept that. But being told after such a long process that you cannot use the power unit the way you developed it can be quite damaging to performance.”
“There is a governance structure,” Wolff concluded. “And if that structure were to vote for a change to the engine regulations, you simply have to accept it. That’s just how it is. In that case it would, of course, be detrimental to all teams running a Mercedes power unit.” Finally he reiterated that the so‑called “engine tricks” deliver only a limited advantage. “It’s only a few horsepower,” he said dryly. “Over a Grand Prix that is essentially negligible.”
