Ferrari comes up empty again—for now: an update on the F1 engine saga

11:00, 06 Feb

byLudo van Denderen

Ferrari, Audi, and Honda once again called on Thursday for the “trick” in Mercedes’ engines, and reportedly also in Red Bull Racing’s, to be banned ahead of the Formula 1 season. However, GPblog understands that their efforts have so far proven unsuccessful.

The new regulations state that the compression ratio may not exceed 16.0 to 1. But teams also know: the higher the compression ratio, the more performance an engine delivers.

It has now become clear that at least Mercedes and possibly also Red Bull Ford have employed clever designs to reach a higher limit while still staying within the rules. Manufacturers are said to be doing this because the compression ratio is only measured when the engine is not at full operating temperature at the track.

Ferrari opposes the trick by Mercedes and Red Bull - Photo: Race Pictures

Ferrari, Audi and Honda push back

For weeks, Ferrari, Audi and Honda have been trying to get the FIA to forbid Mercedes and Red Bull Ford from using this engine trick. During a regularly scheduled meeting this Thursday, the issue came up again, but as before, nothing is being changed at this time. Discussions on the subject will continue in the coming period, this site understands.

In any case, it is impossible to make changes to the power units now. Earlier, GPblog heard that talks between the teams and the FIA are mainly about adjustments to the measurement methods at a later date. Whether a majority of teams can be found in favour of that is highly questionable. Six of the eleven teams are said to be using this trick, which constitutes a majority.

The Mercedes team are in any case, convinced that the power unit meets all requirements and that the FIA has confirmed this. The fact that Ferrari, Audi and Honda keep complaining has led to much annoyance for team boss Toto Wolff of the German outfit.