FIA director of the single-seaters, Nikolas Tombazis, believes that the whole saga around the compression ratio of the Mercedes engine earlier this season was ‘blown out of proportion’. The governing body never believed for a moment that the Silver Arrows, or any other team, were trying to cheat. Nevertheless, the FIA adjusted the regulations: ‘Wanted to prevent the discussion from dragging on too long’.
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Even before the 2026 season had started, the winter break was dominated by stories about Mercedes’ power unit. The Silver Arrows were said to have found a loophole allowing them to increase the compression ratio of their power unit on the track through thermal expansion. During static tests back in the garage, the compression ratio would comply with the allowed 16:1. The FIA later intervened by introducing tests from the Monaco GP onwards for when the engine is at a higher temperature.
According to FIA chief Nikolas Tombazis, the whole issue around the Mercedes engine was ‘blown out of proportion’. “I think it didn’t deserve a fraction of the attention it received,” the chief said during a recent media session. “We never thought anyone was trying to cheat. Some had tried to adjust the compression ratio at more favorable temperatures, and those were legal.”
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‘Preventing a race’
Nevertheless, the governing body decided to intervene. Tombazis explains why: “At the end of February, we made a number of decisions to prevent the entire F1 paddock from entering a race to find ‘exotic’ materials or solutions that go against the spirit of the sport. It’s something we often do when confronted with certain situations: we don’t ban them, but we prevent the discussion from dragging on too long. I do not accept criticism that someone tried to cheat, even if the chosen solutions and mechanisms were outside the intent of the regulations.”
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