Red Bull director suggests Mercedes engine 'trick' shouldn't be allowed

Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché has addressed the topic of Mercedes’ engine compression ratio 'trick'.

Waché believes engine compression ratio 'trick' is 'not allowed'

The compression ratio debate remains one of the hottest topics in the paddock as Formula 1 strides ever closer to the season-opening race in Melbourne, now less than a month away, with one final test session still to come in between.

Asked whether it was true that Red Bull has the knowledge but not yet the means to fully put it into practice, the Frenchman told GPblog in Bahrain: “I think I don’t know what the others are doing, if you ask me, it’s not allowed. I don’t know what they are doing, seriously, and I don’t know if it’s true or not. At the moment it’s just a remote system, and if I am trying to put in place a system that is fair for everybody in a different way.

“In the different operations, what they are doing and how you don’t go against the rules but maximise your confidence, the boundary of this aspect is difficult to see — even more on the engine side, because it’s not visible. It’s the same on the suspension aspect, on the chassis. I'm not an expert on engines and I don’t know what the others are doing.”

Photo: Race Pictures

Waché details where RB22 falls short against Ferrari and Mercedes

Pressed on where the RB22 is currently falling short compared to its rivals, Waché told GPblog among other media that drawing firm conclusions remains tricky. He acknowledged that the car looks very strong in traction zones, while also pointing out that Ferrari and Mercedes have shown impressive straight-line speed, particularly when running on fresh fuel.

However, Waché stressed that properly judging performance is almost impossible until everyone lines up on identical fuel loads in qualifying trim in Melbourne. He added that Red Bull are already well aware of certain weaknesses in their package, issues that tie in closely with the feedback they have received from both Verstappen and Hadjar behind the wheel.

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