Mercedes F1 chief warns rivals of TITLE-WINNING rule change feeling

F1 News & Gossip

Mercedes chief warns rivals of TITLE-WINNING rule change feeling

James Allison believes that the team are progressing well ahead of 2026

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 22 May 2024 09:12

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Mercedes' technical director James Allison has suggested that the mood within the team ahead of a regulation change in 2026 is 'very similar' to that of before the start of the hybrid era.

2014 saw Formula 1 ditch its old technology of a 2.4-litre V8 engine configuration, and instead replace it with the more environmentally-friendly 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 power unit, in a complete upheaval of the sport's rules.

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After four years of Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel dominance, Mercedes (who at that stage had just four race wins to their name since re-entering the sport as a works team in 2010) managed to take a step ahead of the competition at the beginning of the new era.

With Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg behind the wheel, they dominated the 2014 season, and went on to claim eight constructors' world championships in a row, a run that only ended with another regulation change in 2022.

Mercedes dominated the start of the hybrid era

James Allison is Mercedes' technical director

Mercedes looking to get ahead in 2026

Since the start of the ground-effect era, Mercedes have found themselves down the order once more, with a George Russell victory at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix being their only win since then.

2026 presents an opportunity for teams to overhaul the now-dominant Red Bull outfit, who have won back-to-back constructors' titles with the record-breaking Max Verstappen claiming three drivers' championships consecutively.

New regulations will once again come sweeping into the sport, with a greater focus on battery power and a potential switch to fully sustainable fuels in the future.

All F1 teams are working hard on the power units, trying to find innovative ways of getting the jump on their competitors, as Mercedes managed ahead of 2014.

"I wasn't in the team in the run-up to 2014 when the new generation of power units were being concocted and the enormous push to make them a reality was taking place," Allison told Sky Sports.

"But those of us in the team who were, tell me that the feeling is very similar.

"There is a massive shove going on in HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] to make a success of that because it will set the course of anyone who's lucky enough to have that in the back of their car for some seasons to come.

"We're lucky that we will be on the receiving end of all the good investment they are making on our joint behalf."