McLaren make defiant Mercedes Australian GP claim as F1 row rumbles on

McLaren CEO Zak Brown is certain the season-opening Australian Grand Prix will not be ruined by the spectacle of the Mercedes-powered teams not being on the grid.

Following the introduction of new power units for this season, F1's compression ratio row is undermining pre-season preparations, and despite the best efforts of the FIA, could yet spill over in the curtain-raising race at Melbourne's Albert Park.

The furore centres on the fact that Mercedes has produced a PU that can run at a higher compression ratio of 18:1 under hotter racing conditions. The regulations state that the ratio must be 16:1, albeit the measurement is taken in ambient conditions.

The compression ratio relates to the performance of the pistons inside the internal combustion engine. A higher ratio means more power from the mixture of air and fuel, which has been compressed.

Mercedes' PU rivals - Ferrari, Audi, and Honda, with Red Bull Powertrains also now believed to have joined forces - have lodged complaints to the FIA, and are aiming to seek changes before the PUs are homologated on March 1.

If changes are enforced, this would leave Mercedes with no time to make changes before the Australian GP, and potentially force it and its customers - McLaren, Williams, and Alpine - out of the race.

It is an armageddon scenario, and one that the FIA is determined to avoid at all costs, with compromises being sought. Brown is convinced the worst can be avoided.

"I can't imagine that you wouldn't have Mercedes teams on the grid in Australia," said Brown, speaking to select media, including RacingNews365.

"We're not privy to those conversations, so I wouldn't even know from a power unit point of view what would be required to change the regulations. But we'll have all the Mercedes teams on the grid in Australia."

F1 politics rears its ugly head again

Brown insists that the arguments so far waged are simply the "typical politics of Formula 1". He added: "The engine has been designed and is totally compliant with the rules.

"That's what the sport is about, no different than things like double diffusers that we've seen in the past, where they were compliant within the rules.

"I don't believe there's a significant advantage, as being represented by the competition, but of course, their job is to make a story out of any perceived advantage.

"The reality is the engine is completely compliant. It has passed all its tests. And I think HPP [Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains] has done a good job."

As a customer, Brown claims McLaren has had no influence in the discussions that have taken place.

He said: "We're aware, but it's a Mercedes topic. We obviously don't build and design the power unit.

"HPP does a good job of keeping us in the loop, because obviously we're very interested. But we don't sit in the power unit working group where those conversations happen."