The "official" part of the preparation period for the new F1 season is about to begin, with the teams spending two three-day sessions testing their 2026 cars in Bahrain over the next two weeks.
The first act was the five-day 'Shakedown Week' held behind closed doors in Barcelona, where Mercedes proved to be strong, which really stirred up emotions.
Since the end of last year, there have been rumours that the Silver Arrows have found a loophole in the compression ratio of internal combustion engines: even then, it was rumoured that competing manufacturers were unhappy with the situation, and the performance in Barcelona added fuel to the fire.
With Red Bull reportedly joining Ferrari, Audi, and Honda in opposing Mercedes' trick, the opposition has grown stronger and the quartet is pushing for a solution as soon as possible.
Leaks from recent engine manufacturer meetings suggest that the four members are expecting a satisfactory solution to the issue before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The situation is escalating, with Mercedes sticking to its position that the engine is completely legal, while the FIA has stated that it is seeking a solution that is satisfactory to all parties.
The governing body's two technical gurus, Nicolas Tombazis and Jan Monchaux, responded to the questions most pressing to the public in a YouTube video on Monday.
“These engineers are very clever and always pushing for an advantage,” Tombazis said.
“Some have found ways to potentially increase it when the engine is running hot, and that is the discussion we're having now.
“We’ve spent a lot of time with Jan discussing how we solve those issues and and I think our intention is, of course, to solve them for the start of the season.
“We don't want to have controversies. We want people to be competing on the track and not in the courtroom or in the stewards’ room, and that's what we're trying to do.”
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'No rule interpretation competition'
In Barcelona, the teams got their first look at what the competition had in store, and as usual, there will likely be numerous changes and improvements to the cars for the next round of the pre-season period.
During Shakedown Week, the Aston Martin AMR26 joined the field late and caused the biggest stir, with the British design genius coming up with a host of extreme solutions that some say push the boundaries of the rules.
Sources told RacingNews365 that rivals are watching closely to see what the Silverstone-based team comes up with in Bahrain, but of course, other teams may also produce interesting designs.
It would not be surprising at all if, during the next phase of preparations in Bahrain, the FIA's technical department were inundated with requests for statements from teams and bombarded with questions about the interpretation of rules relating to various new solutions.
According to Tombazis, the FIA is prepared for a possible onslaught.
“We are determined to make this a championship of competition between the best drivers, the best engineers, the teams, but not a championship of rule interpretation.
“We want it to be a championship of engineering prowess as well as driving prowess, but not a just 'who's a smarter rule interpreter?'”
When events heat up in Bahrain, it is not inconceivable that technical innovations will overshadow the compression ratio issue, at least as far as public attention is concerned.
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Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look ahead to the first of two three-day tests in Bahrain! The trio discuss who to keep an eye on and the fascinating approaches being taken to car development in 2026.
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