F1 2026 test: Red Bull is the ‘benchmark’, says Mercedes boss Toto Wolff

Wolff’s statements come in the context of the ongoing dispute over the legality of the Mercedes engine.

Competitors believe that Mercedes found a loophole that allows them to run the engine higher than the permissible compression ratio.

This – the measurement of the cylinder displacement between the two ends of the piston stroke – is limited to 16:1, and the rules state that it will be measured at ambient temperature when the engine is at rest.

Mercedes’ rivals believe they have found a way to use material technology and thermal expansion to operate the engine at a higher rate and are pushing for rules to be clarified before the start of the season next month.

Mercedes did not deny doing so, but insisted that the engine was legal.

Competitors claimed the trick was worth up to 0.3 seconds per lap, while Wolff said the gain was “a few horses – in England you would say a couple, which is more like two and three”.

He added: “Pressure from other engine manufacturers has increased significantly over the past few months.

“I mean secret meetings, secret messages to the FIA, and obviously there is no such thing as a secret in this sport.

“Everyone was a bit excited about the performance of the Mercedes-powered teams.

“And I think our colleagues from other brands got a little carried away that this might be embarrassing, which I don’t think it is at all.”

Regarding the possibility of changing the rules before the start of the season, he said: “There is a governance process. And if that governance votes in favor of changing the engine regulation, you just have to take it seriously.”

But he said: “The essence of Formula 1 is to find performance, attract the best engineers and the best people, give them the freedom to develop the regulations, and once it’s in your favor and again it’s against you.”

Williams team principal James Vowles, a Mercedes customer, said: “The PU we have in the car is fully compliant with the regulations. This is a meritocracy where the best engineering results are effectively rewarded as a result, not penalized as a result.”

“Right now, I don’t think there’s someone in the pit lane who can tell you what the best PU is. We focus on one detail.

“I hope that logic prevails, and we as a sport realize that we are here to be on merit. The best engineering solutions win as a result, and therefore we are where we are now.”