Formula 1 teams are officially no longer be allowed to take advantage of the loophole in the 2026 engine regulations which caused such a stir in pre-season. Mercedes in particular were rumoured to have taken advantage of some unclear wording in the new rules to incorporate a performance-giving advantage into their power unit designs.
The rules limited the compression ratio within the 2026 engines to 16:1, but they way it was worded meant teams were only bound to respecting that ratio when it was measured at ambient temperature. Mercedes took advantage of this by designing their engines to comply with that limit but perhaps run with a ratio as high as 18:1 when warmed up through use.
Once rivals have clocked onto the opportunity they had missed, they asked for clarification from the FIA with some insisting it was not within the spirit of the new regulations. And the governing body concurred, decreeing that the regulations would change from June 1 so that compliance measurements would also take place when the engine is at 130 degrees.
Mercedes have always maintained that their engines are fully capable of operating with a 16:1 compression ratio even when at the temperatures that usage of the power units would bring. The Silver Arrows say their engine performance will be unaffected as a result, though rivals are hopeful that it will bring them at least a little closer.
Mercedes have won every Grand Prix held so far in 2026 and the only slice of victory any other team has been able to savour was Lando Norris‘ Sprint race victory in Miami for McLaren. For this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, it is Ferrari who have been hyped up by many especially with home hero Charles Leclerc a specialist on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli even went as far as to claim the Scuderia are the pre-event favourites for the win. The Italian teenager said: “I think Ferrari is going to be the team to beat in Monaco. It’s going to be very interesting [to see] how we do there, but for sure Ferrari is the favourite.
He pointed to one of Ferrari’s own pre-season innovations as he explained his thinking, adding: “The winglet in the back, it’s giving them a lot of downforce at low speed. So, for sure, it’s going to be interesting, but I’ll try to do my best, to put myself in the best position and to achieve the best result possible.”
Leclerc may be the home hero but Lewis Hamilton enters this race riding high off the back of his second place in Canada last time out. He drove well all weekend after ditching Ferrari’s simulator and confirmed the he again will not use it in preparation for his next race, telling reporters: “Whether or not I use it to prepare for another race? Probably not. There are just too many risks.”