Toto Wolff Tolerates F1's Power Unit Changes, But Not Fully Happy

The head of the Mercedes Formula 1 team, Toto Wolff, has expressed his annoyance at competing engine producers "uniting" to push for a regulation adjustment aimed at resolving the debate over the compression ratio. Nevertheless, the Austrian has suggested that the manufacturer will comply with the updated test.

On Wednesday, the FIA announced thata vote is currently taking place concerning a suggested updated check on F1 compression rates. If approved, the change will take effect starting August 1, meaning it will impact the last 11 races of the season. The test will be carried out under high temperatures, in addition to the current ambient test required by the original regulations, aiming to prevent PU manufacturers from taking advantage of a loophole that provides a more favorable compression ratio when the cars are on the track. Although it has not been officially approved yet, the plan for the new test would not have been disclosed if the FIA had any reservations about its approval.

Wolff has been indicating for several weeks that competitors have placed excessive focus on any performance improvements Mercedes might achieve by using a higher compression ratio. "We've always maintained that this seems like a lot of fuss over nothing," he stated in Bahrain on Thursday. "And the figures were emerging—if those numbers were accurate, I completely understand why someone would be concerned. However, in the end, it's not worth the effort [for us]. It doesn't affect us whether we remain as is or transition to the new regulations."

Wolff suggested that Mercedes F1will embrace the change for the benefit of the sport, while also emphasizing that he was not pleased with how competitors collaborated to push the FIA's actions. "We also aim to be responsible participants in the sport, as it doesn't really matter much," he stated. "Philosophically, you may have differences with [the decision]," he continued, "but when four other power units are exerting significant pressure on the FIA, at some point, what option do we have but to comply?"

Wolff implies that he thinks a valid technical edge acquired by Mercedes via innovative efforts from the engineering team has been countered by competitors who hadn't considered it.

Is this what we desire?" he asked. "F1 is a meritocracy, and we don't want any performance balance. You created a part of the rules, and that has been approved—and then everyone else comes together and claims it's against the rules, with the regulator facing pressure. Is that the way it should be? Philosophically, I disagree, but that's how it has unfolded over the past 50 years in F1, and this time we were on the receiving end. I suppose next time we might be the ones opposing someone else because we think it's not fair.

He also indicated that Mercedes's competitors might have had alternative objectives. "I believe the current approach ensures compliance with the regulations in both cold and hot conditions, which doesn't provide anyone with an edge. I think the other teams tried to have it tested only when it was hot, so they could operate outside the rules when it was cold. Now, it's a level playing field for everyone."

In the meantime, Wolff also shared an interesting perspective on claims that Mercedes has "illegal" fuel. A significant aspect of F1's 2026 sustainable fuel rules requires suppliers to demonstrate the sustainability of their products and the supply chain of parts, which must be confirmed and approved by an independent organization appointed by the FIA. This is a novel and intricate procedure, and Petronas is still waiting for the final clearance—which naturally needs to be obtained before the first race in Melbourne, which is just two weeks away.

This is another one of these stories," said Wolff. "We were told that the compression ratio was something we were illegal for, which is complete nonsense, total nonsense. And now another story comes up saying our fuel is illegal. I don't know where that's coming from. And it starts spinning again. Maybe tomorrow we'll come up with something else—I don't know, I've been going through the Epstein files, who knows what! More foolishness. This is a complex issue, and the whole process and everything... I can't even comment...

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