The FIA has confirmed that mid-season rule changes will be made in response to F1’s engine dispute, and new tests will be introduced from June.
Preparations for the new 2026 season, which starts next weekend in Melbourne, have put Mercedes in the spotlight after a potential loophole could be exploited, with rival teams claiming they had found a way around engine compression ratio limits.
As part of the biggest regulation changes in F1 history, the compression ratio limit has been lowered from the previously prescribed 18.0 to 16.0, but measurements are now only taken when the engine is not running at maximum temperature, something the team believes Mercedes can use to gain a competitive advantage.
However, the FIA has announced that a new test will be carried out from June 1, when the engine ambient temperature will be 130 degrees Celsius.
Seven races are scheduled before the new test is introduced, with 17 rounds scheduled on the calendar from June onwards.
“Some of the amendments were simultaneously approved by the F1 power unit manufacturers,” the FIA said. F1 engine manufacturers are Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Ford, Audi, and Honda.
“The amendments to the technical regulations have been made following pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain and extensive feedback received from drivers and teams,” the FIA said.
“A great deal of effort has been expended to find a solution to the problem of compression ratio. This parameter was one of the main fundamental goals of these regulations to attract new entrants to the sport, but the regulations limit it to 16:1, measured in cold conditions.”
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“The FIA has been working to find a compromise between controlling the compression ratio in both hot and cold conditions from June 1, 2026, and then only in operating conditions (130°C) from 2027 onwards.
“The regulations introduced in 2026 represent one of the most significant changes in recent memory. With the introduction of such significant regulation changes, all parties acknowledge that there is collective learning to be done from pre-season testing and the first round of the 2026 Championship.”
“Further evaluation and technical checks regarding energy management are underway.”
F1’s governing body confirmed that the new test “prohibits components, assemblies, mechanisms or integrated arrangements of components that are designed or function at ratios in operating conditions greater than 16.0”.
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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said ahead of F1’s two pre-season tests in Bahrain that changes to power unit regulations could be “quite damaging to performance”.
However, during the final Bahrain test, Wolff softened his stance, saying Mercedes would be “quite comfortable” if the team protested the engine at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. This scenario now seems highly unlikely given that a solution has been found.
He added: “We’ve always said this is a storm in a teacup, and then these numbers come out…If these numbers are true, I completely understand why someone would fight, but ultimately it’s not worth fighting for.”
“Whether we stay like this or change to new regulations, nothing changes for us. It’s a process.
“But we also want to be good citizens of the sport, because it doesn’t make much of a difference that we change our minds.”
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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has spoken out against F1 bosses trying to close loopholes in new engine rules.
When the engine scandal was first reported in January, Red Bull engine boss Ben Hodgkinson said it was “much ado about nothing” and sided with Mercedes against the other three engine manufacturers, Ferrari, Audi and Honda.
However, Aston Martin team boss Adrian Newey told Sky Sports News in February that “everyone is united except for one manufacturer”. Newey did not name Mercedes, but Wolff’s stance suggests Red Bull have changed their stance.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mequise said: “At times I felt like I didn’t really know where Red Bull stood.At least that’s what I thought when I was reading and listening to everyone’s stories.
“The simple truth is that we don’t really care whether regulations go left or right.”
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FIA single-seater director Nicolas Tombazis said: “I don’t think this topic needed to receive this much attention during the off-season.”
“I don’t believe our performance was at the level described. Of course there was no wrongdoing, there was no allegation that anyone was illegal,” he said.
“Whether that was the intention of the regulations is a question and there are new regulations in place now so this will be there, but there are also other smaller topics that need to be resolved going forward and we will try to be even-handed in our approach.”
“Every time we follow something, some people are going to be frustrated that we don’t take action sooner, and some people are going to be frustrated that we don’t leave things alone. Part of our job is to try to keep it in a kind of balanced way.”
Adjustments to qualifying rules announced, eliminating mandatory pit stop in Monaco
Also on Saturday, the FIA announced that Q3 time will be extended from 12 to 13 minutes from this season.
To compensate for the minor changes, qualifying will still be scheduled for one hour, with the gap between Q2 and Q3 reduced from eight minutes to seven minutes.
This year, with newcomer Cadillac joining the F1 grid, there will be 11 participating teams, and the bottom six cars will be eliminated in Q1 and Q2, instead of five cars.
The two mandatory pit stops at last year’s Monaco Grand Prix have been foregone, meaning the race will be held later than usual on June 7, and the same regulations as other Grands Prix will apply.
Sky Sports F1 Australian GP Schedule
Thursday, March 5th
3am: Driver press conference
6am: Paddock uncut
9:45pm: F3 practice
10:55pm: F2 practice
Friday, March 6th
1am: Australian GP Practice 1 (Session starts at 1:30am)*
2:55am: F3 Qualifying*
3:30am: Team boss press conference
3:50am: F2 Qualifying*
4:35am: Australian GP Practice 2 (session starts at 5am)*
6:15am: F1 Show*
Saturday, March 7th
0.10am: F3 sprint*
1:10am: Australian GP Practice 3 (session starts at 1:30am)*
3:05am: F2 Sprint*
4:10am: Australian GP qualifying build-up*
5am: Australian Grand Prix Qualifying*
7am: Ted’s Qualification Notebook*
9:45pm: F3 Feature Race*
Sunday, March 8th
12:20am: F2 Feature Race*
2:30am: Preparation for Australian Grand Prix: Grand Prix Sunday*
4am: Australian Grand Prix*
6am: Australian Grand Prix reaction: Checkered flag*
7am: Ted’s Notes*
7.55am: Australian GP race replay*
10am: Australian GP Highlights (also on Sky Showcase)*
*Also held at Sky Sports Main Event
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