Mercedes has been the subject of many Formula 1 rumors over the past few weeks. Their engine for the 2026 season appears to be rather controversial, as they have reportedly found a loophole in the regulations to increase the compression ratio beyond 16:1.
While they managed to increase it to 18:1 under hotter conditions, it must remain at 16:1 when measured under normal temperatures. This discrepancy does not inherently violate the regulations, but several competitors have still deemed it to be unfair.
The FIA plan to step in and do a thorough inspection, given the widespread opposition. However, they do need four out of the five engine manufacturers to be in favor of a change for this to progress any further. Ferrari, Audi, and Honda are all in opposition, and Red Bull may be the deciding factor.
It is quite ironic, given the fact that Red Bull initially looked to be utilizing the same loophole as Mercedes, but they were apparently unsuccessful in implementing it as effectively. As a result, their decision to go against Mercedes could result in a regulation change, severely hurting the Silver Arrows and their customers.
Toto Wolff is deflecting as best as he can
The next round of testing in Bahrain has already gotten underway. Red Bull’s pace and power were quite strong, as Max Verstappen ended up near the top of the speed charts. The Dutchman was just over a tenth of a second behind McLaren's Lando Norris, who set the fastest time.
In light of tension inside the Mercedes garage, Toto Wolff was quick to call Red Bull the benchmark for comparison. Wolff was marveling over the RB22 and openly admired the power deployment on each lap.
The Mercedes team principal is playing it well with the media, as his comments suggest that Red Bull, not Mercedes, actually have the strongest engine.
It is a smart play, as the point is to show that Mercedes do not have an advantage as large as what others have been led to believe. The ultimate goal could be that by proving the advantage is rather minimal, so will the consequences.
A decision on the Mercedes engine is expected quite soon, and it could make or break the season of not only the factory team but of their three customer teams in McLaren, Alpine, and Williams as well. In the end, Red Bull could be the ultimate winner, and their stance could be monumental.