FIA eager to avoid 'court case' after growing F1 technical row

FIA single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis says the governing body is eager to avoid "being sat in courts" after the first race amid a growing technical row.

Over the winter, it was reported that Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, and potentially Red Bull Powertrains, had developed a system to increase the compression ratio of its new 2026 engine to 18:1, exceeding the prescribed limit of 16:1. 

An increased compression ratio will hand any power unit using it a power boost, worth potentially up to 0.3.s per lap in Melbourne, or 17.4s in race time across the 58 laps.

The controversial aspect is that when the compression ratio is measured at ambient temperatures in the pit-lane, it would be at the 16:1 limit, but potentially through the use of expanding metals, on-track, it could exceed this, but not be detected.

As a result, Ferrari, Honda, and Audi, the other 2026 suppliers, are unhappy, with a crunch meeting taking place on Thursday, 22nd January, to iron out the row, with one solution potentially being tighter rules for 2027. 

Speaking for the first time about the situation, the FIA's single-seater director Tombazis believes no protests would be launched in Australia.

"Of course, everyone is extremely passionate and competitive, and when people are in that state of mind, it does create a bit of blindness to maybe other arguments," he explained to Reuters at the Autosport Business Exchange.

"Some people, therefore, present their points of view as the only truth. Unfortunately, things are never completely simple. That's where we come in to make sure we clarify these things.

"I don't think it's as huge a topic anyway as currently is being made out in the press."

When asked about the potential for a protest in Melbourne, Tombazis felt no such action would be taken. 

"I believe we are going to be OK," he said.

"It's a top priority to make sure we don't have controversies because we want to go racing and not to be sat in courts and hearings after the first race."