David Coulthard, former Formula 1 driver, believes that the FIA itself was responsible for creating the conditions for the controversy surrounding Mercedes’ ‘trick’ on the compression ratio limit of the new engine for 2026. During his appearance on the ‘Up To Speed’ podcast, Coulthard stated that the FIA made a mistake when drafting the 2026 regulations, leaving room for teams to exploit loopholes and interpret certain articles in their favor.
Read more F1: Aston Martin would be ready to withdraw from the Australian GP
The former driver argued that, to avoid situations like this, the FIA should have considered the operating window of an F1 car, which is not at room temperature in a garage, but rather under extreme conditions on the track: “The engine temperature can reach 110°C, the brakes exceed 1000°C. They should have designed the rules with these operating conditions in mind,” Coulthard stated.
The controversy arose after the discovery that Mercedes had found a loophole in the rules, which allowed increasing the engine’s compression ratio from 16:1 to 18:1 when the engine was hot, taking advantage of how the FIA initially measured the parameter, which was with the engine at room temperature.
Read more F1: FIA may ‘cancel’ Parc Fermé in case of risk of rain
Last Saturday, the FIA introduced a rule change, which will be effective from June 1st. Now, engines will be tested at both room temperature and 130°C, the limit at which Mercedes’ ‘trick’ was possible. The update was approved without opposition by the World Motor Sport Council, and from 2027, compliance tests will occur exclusively under full operating conditions.
Read more F1: Aston Martin sponsor’s refinery catches fire in Middle East conflict
