Mercedes F1 'given FIA approval' after rules uncertainty in blow to F1 rivals

Mercedes F1 team have finally received official approval from the FIA over their fuel for the 2026 season.

During pre-season testing it was revealed that only three of the five F1 fuel suppliers had received their homologation certificate at the start of the season.

In 2026, the ICE in the power unit is able to run off 100 per cent sustainable fuels, but Mercedes' supplier Petronas were yet to achieve such approval.

This meant that Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Alpine were in danger arriving at the first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix, without certification and therefore would have been forced to use temporary fuel, which could cause a performance deficit.

However, as per The Race, Mercedes have completed the homologation sign-off for their Petronas fuel.

READ MORE: How Mercedes finally got Max Verstappen on board

FIA sign off on Mercedes fuel

The delay was attributed to complications in gaining FIA approval over the individual components to ensure that the supply chain was sustainable.

To ensure the fuel was in compliance to the rules, two different types of checks were done to the products, completed independently of one another.

BP's Motorsport Fluids Technology Lead, Luc Jolly explained: "There's two main elements. You've got the element where there's a defined fuel spec - which is like last year with physical chemical parameters, and you have to sit within them.

"You send the sample off to an FIA-approved lab, and you check that you're ticking all the boxes in that respect.

"But the new thing [for 2026] is obviously the advanced sustainable requirements, and that is a whole new angle to the homologation process.

"The FIA has appointed a third party called Zemo [Partnership]. It's an independent body who end-to-end, from the feedstock sourcing, right through to the production and lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the final fuel, makes sure everything is within a range defined by the FIA. That part is way more complicated than it was before."

Jolly continued that the new process was 'super rigorous' which is why 'timing has been tight' for some, and 'wasn't surprised' to hear others were struggling.

Aston Martin fuel supplier Aramco also went into testing without using homologated fuels, and as of yet there has been no confirmation that the FIA have approved their fuel for the start of the 2026 season.

READ MORE: Aston Martin may retire DELIBERATELY at Australian Grand Prix

Related