Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali could prevent rival engine manufacturers from “ganging up” against Mercedes ahead of the 2026 season.
The Power Unit Advisory Committee (PUAC) is scheduled to meet at the Bahrain International Circuit to discuss a possible rule change regarding how engine compression ratios are measured, ahead of power unit homologation on March 1.
Ferrari, Audi, Honda, and Red Bull Powertrains are reportedly pushing for the compression ratio to be measured when the engine is hot, rather than at ambient temperature as stated in the current regulations. The Mercedes power unit is believed to reach an 18:1 ratio under hot conditions, above the 16:1 regulatory limit.
Any rule change at the PUAC requires a supermajority, meaning support from four of the five power unit manufacturers, along with votes from the FIA and Formula One Management.
Wolff claimed FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had indicated support for Mercedes’ design, although neither the FIA nor FOM has issued a public stance.
According to Wolff, the votes of the FIA and Domenicali could prove decisive, both for Mercedes and for preventing a coordinated move by rival manufacturers against one supplier.
“In this sport, there are individuals who want it to become a series with Balance of Performance, without calling it BOP,” said Wolff.
“That means they don’t want engineering ingenuity, and prefer a level playing field, so we end up with rules invented on the fly that make things more complex.”
“The essence of Formula 1 is to find performance, attract the best engineers, and give them freedom to develop solutions. Sometimes the rules work for you, sometimes against you.”
“But I believe the FIA president and Stefano Domenicali will look at it holistically and avoid too much gamesmanship.”
With the supermajority voting process involving manufacturers, the FIA, and FOM, the final decision on compression ratio regulations is expected to play a key role in shaping the competitive landscape of the 2026 Formula 1 engine era.
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