Toto Wolff: F1 compression ratio drama "a storm in a teacup"

Mercedes sparked fury with its innovative compression ratio design for F1 2026

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted that the Formula 1 compression ratio drama is “a storm in a teacup”, meaning his team was no longer willing to fight the backlash against their engine.

F1 power units are now much different thanks to the 2026 regulation change, and one of the alterations was made to the compression ratio, which was reduced from 18:1 to 16:1.

But Article C5.4.3 states that a static test at ambient temperature is the only method of measuring it, so Mercedes found a way to increase the ratio while the engine was running before returning to the limit.

This sparked huge fury from the other four power unit manufacturers, and on Wednesday, it was confirmed that they are all set to vote on a proposed tweak to how the ratio is measured - potentially coming into play by the summer break.

It comes despite Wolff previously insisting that it only makes a 2-3bhp difference, though Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen claimed “you definitely have to add a zero to that”.

When asked by Motorsport.com about the matter on Thursday during Bahrain pre-season testing, Wolff replied: “We said it all along that this looks like a storm in a teacup, the whole thing.

“Numbers were coming up that were, you know, if these numbers would have been true, absolutely understand why somebody would fight it. But eventually, it's not worth the fight.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

“It doesn't change anything for us, whether we stay like this or whether we change to the new regulations, and that's been a process. But we also want to be good citizens in the sport because it doesn't make a big difference.

“We then changed opinion. Philosophically, you can disagree with it, because I believe regs are there to be made and you keep the FIA close to you – and that's how it should be.

“But, if you have four other PU [manufacturers] that are putting immense pressure on the FIA at a certain stage, what choice do we have [other] than not to play? We were pretty comfortable in even having a protest going on Friday in Melbourne.

“Is this what we want?”

It’s not the only thing Mercedes has been in the news for though, as Motorsport.com reported on Tuesday that its Petronas fuel is in a race against time to obtain certification ahead of the Australian season opener on 6-8 March.

“This is another of these stories,” said Wolff, whose team is the bookmakers’ favourite for both the constructors’ and drivers’ titles.

“We were told compression ratio is something that we were illegal, which is total bullshit, utter bullshit. And now the next story comes up that our fuel is illegal.

“I don't know where that comes from and it starts spinning again. Maybe tomorrow we'll invent something else.”