Toto Wolff slams F1 rivals amid 2026 engine row: ‘They want to find excuses’
An engine controversy, with Ferrari, Audi and Honda complaining to the FIA over a ‘loophole’ Mercedes and Red Bull have found, was sharply dismissed by the Mercedes F1 CEO on Monday
Toto Wolff has slammed Mercedes’ F1 rivals over the sport’s engine controversy ahead of the 2026 season, sharply telling them to “get their s*** together.”
In one of the sport’s biggest-ever rule changes, new engine and chassis regulations are being introduced this year, with Mercedes the frontrunners after last week’s first pre-season test in Barcelona. However, a divide between the five engine manufacturers has already emerged over the off-season.
Ferrari, Audi and Honda have complained to the FIA (F1’s governing body) about Mercedes and Red Bull finding an engine “loophole”. The matter in question concerns the compression ratio of the internal combustion engine, specifically the ratio between the cylinder’s maximum and minimum volume. The rules mandate a 16:1 ratio, measured at an “ambient temperature” while the car is stationary, but Mercedes and Red Bull are believed to be exploiting thermal expansion, which would lead the compression ratio to be closer to the old 18:1 regulation while running on track.
Such an advantage could help teams by up to 0.3 seconds per lap and, as such, the other three engine manufacturers have written to the FIA insisting a ratio higher than the 16:1 figure mandated would be against the rules. Further meetings with the FIA on the matter are expected in the coming weeks but, so far, no changes to the regulations look forthcoming.
Yet Mercedes team principal Wolff, speaking after the team’s 2026 car launch on Monday, criticised the outrage amongst other teams: “I just don’t understand that some teams concentrate more on others and keep arguing a case that is very clear and transparent.
“Communication with the FIA was very positive all along, not only on compression ratio but other things too. Specifically in that area, it’s very clear what the regulations say, what the standard procedures are.
“So just get your s*** together. Doing secret meetings and letters, and inventing ways of testing which don’t exist… I can just say at least from us, we’re trying to minimise distractions and that’s looking more at us, not everybody else.”
Red Bull’s engine boss Ben Hodgkinson, formerly of Mercedes, previously insisted he could not comprehend why a row has broken out – a viewpoint Wolff also threw his weight behind, with just five weeks until the season-opening race in Australia on 8 March.
“It’s pretty clear what the regulations say,” he added. “Maybe we’re all different, maybe you want to find excuses before you’ve even started.
“Everybody needs to do it to the best of their ability, but that’s not how we do things, especially if you’ve been told a few times it’s fine. It’s legal and what the regulations say. If someone wants to entertain themselves by distraction, they’re free to do that.”
Given Mercedes’s impressive execution in the last engine regulation change in 2014, leading to eight consecutive constructors’ titles, the Silver Arrows are thought to be at the front of the pecking order, ahead of two more pre-season tests in Bahrain later this month.
George Russell is the early favourite for the drivers’ championship, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. “It’s always nice if your driver is the favourite,” Wolff added.
“He [George] deserves it because he’s one of the best. He’s been overall more than great for us, but it’s the best driver and best car that wins. We haven’t yet proven that there is a package which is good enough.
“I hope the bookmakers are right, but I’ll believe it when we have seen performances that have confirmed that.”
The next pre-season test is in Bahrain on 11-13 February, with the first race in Melbourne on 8 March.
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