FIA on alert over new Mercedes engine trick that has 'annoyed' Ferrari

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FIA

FIA on alert over new Mercedes engine trick that has 'annoyed' Ferrari

Have Mercedes found another trick for their power unit?

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 1 April 2026 19:43

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The FIA are understood to be looking at another alleged 'trick' within Mercedes' F1 power unit that could be giving them an advantage in qualifying.

Mercedes have started the 2026 season as the dominant team in the sport, taking all three pole positions and grand prix wins so far, and sitting top of the constructors' championship by 45 points.

Their closest challengers have been Ferrari for much of this year, but the recent Japanese Grand Prix saw the Maranello-based outfit also struggling to fend off the McLarens, another team with a Mercedes power unit.

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It has already been determined that Mercedes must make changes to their power unit by June 1, with their previously investigated geometric compression ratio trick being outlawed by a change in the sporting regulations from the Monaco GP onwards.

But now, The Race are reporting that there is another factor that has 'annoyed' Ferrari surrounding Mercedes' power units.

Mercedes have reportedly found a way to extend the amount of time that they get to deploy full MGU-K power in a qualifying lap.

Full deployment of the MGU-K sees a driver able to utilise the full 450 horsepower of their power unit when they press a boost button on their steering wheel, with this returning the engine settings to maximum power.

This can only be used if there is enough recharge on the battery, which is why we see drivers super clipping and lifting and coasting even during the course of a qualifying lap.

Once the full 350kW deployment has been used, most 2026 power units then gradually decrease power output at 50kW intervals at a time down to the normal power setting.

However, the above publication state that Mercedes - and Red Bull - have found a way to shut off this power instantly, thus increasing the amount of time that they have the maximum power output for.

Current rules mean that doing this causes a 60-second lockout of the MGU-K. While this massively hampers their next lap as they will not have the MGU-K for the first half of their next lap, in qualifying this does not matter, as that will likely be a cooldown lap.

The FIA are reportedly looking into the legality of this trick, which Ferrari are said to be 'annoyed' about, particularly when it comes to the Mercedes-powered cars, believing that it could be an exploitation of the sporting regulations.

According to the publication, Mercedes did not use the exploit throughout the weekend after qualifying.

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Will Mercedes' dominance last?

With the geometric compression ratio trick having to be changed on the Mercedes power units by June 1, there is a feel that the team are trying to make as much hay as possible while the sun shines.

That is believed to be worth around 0.3 seconds per lap, while this could be coupled with the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) rules which gives struggling power unit providers an opportunity to bring upgrades to their power units in order to catch up.

The first opportunity for this is after race six, which is currently after the Monaco GP because of the recent cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

Therefore, Mercedes could be handed a double whammy against them which may just allow the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull to catch up as the season progresses.

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