Toto Wolff believes that the complaints about the Mercedes engine are "largely exaggerated".

This is one of the issues that is causing a stir in the world of... Formula 1 at the dawn of a 2026 season of renewal. Mercedes BenzMercedes, who had already brilliantly negotiated the previous engine regulation changes in 2014, has reportedly discovered a way to circumvent the 16:1 cylinder compression ratio limit when the car is on track and the engine is hot. These accusations are forcing the F1 Commission to decide on a potential clarification of the regulations this week, and could hinder Mercedes' progress at the start of the season.

Director of the Silver Arrows team, Toto wolff He was combative in the Sakhir circuit paddock. The Austrian believes that, as is often the case in Formula 1, it's all just a political issue, fueled by rivals ready to blow things out of proportion that, in his opinion, aren't all that significant… Rumors suggest a gain of up to three tenths per lap for the Mercedes-powered cars compared to the competition.

"I think this whole story is greatly exaggerated.", he explained to the official Formula 1 website. "If our opponents knew how small the advantage is, we'd think it was silly to give it so much importance. That's Formula 1, it's always been like that, with lobbying and attempts to influence the writing of the regulations, but that's okay, that's the game."

After their impressive showing in Barcelona, ​​the Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli began the three days of testing in Bahrain more discreetly. Wolff believes that the Sakhir track and the significantly higher temperatures compared to Spain could more clearly expose the weaknesses of the W17, a sign that the Brackley-based team needs to continue working before the start of the season on March 8 in Australia.

“For now, I think everything is going more or less according to the plan we set out. It's not been smooth sailing, though; we've had some difficulties with the car's balance, difficulties that are more noticeable than in Barcelona. That's quite normal, as it's much hotter here. We've also seen a Verstappen "Very strong this morning. We all need to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and we'll understand a little better at the end of the tests whether the work we've done is good enough or not."

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