F1 engineers create Mercedes theory about another ‘special’ 2026 trick not permitted by the FIA

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Mercedes have found themselves at the centre of what could be the first controversy of the new Formula 1 regulations.

The Barcelona shakedown might not have given fans a glimpse of which team is the quickest under the new regulations, but there were immediate signs that Mercedes might be the team to beat.

Mercedes were the only team to clock more than 500 laps, and while many teams were collecting their final pieces of data on day five, Toto Wolff’s team had already packed up and gone home.

The Silver Arrows were in a confident but not complacent mood at their team launch, with Wolff addressing rumours about the Mercedes power unit.

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A compression trick that Mercedes are believed to have found could potentially give George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli an advantage over their rivals.

Wolff told the other power unit suppliers on the grid during the official team launch to ‘get your s— together’, and was adamant that the Mercedes power unit was ‘legal’.

However, engineers in the sport have hypothesised that Mercedes might have discovered another trick that the FIA would not be so happy about.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

F1 engineers suggest Mercedes are using ‘special pistons’ as part of 2026 power unit

A report from AMuS has shared more details about what Mercedes are doing behind the scenes in preparation for the upcoming campaign.

The report suggests that Mercedes have developed ‘special pistons’ using 3D printing technology to increase the engine’s compression ratio.

However, ‘engineers’ suggest this would only increase the ratio to 17:1, and not the reported 18:1 that many believe Mercedes have reached.

There’s now a suggestion that Mercedes have created a ‘small pocket’ in the combustion chamber near the top of the cylinder.

During the static tests that the FIA carries out, the pocket fills up, therefore allowing Mercedes to pass their examinations.

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However, at higher temperatures and speeds, when the pressure increases, the thin channel connected to the pocket closes, and therefore increases the compression ratio.

This ‘theory’ has been conjured up by other Formula 1 teams, and a ‘query to the FIA’ has come back with the governing body suggesting that this trick is ‘not permitted’.

There is currently no proof that Mercedes are using this specific trick, but engineers up and down the grid are trying to get their head around how the Silver Arrows have created this advantage.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 CEO and team principal Toto Wolff

Ferrari are already preparing a response to Mercedes 2026 F1 engine trick

There are five power unit suppliers on the grid this season, but Mercedes should have an immediate advantage over three of them.

Honda appear to be having issues as Aston Martin’s exclusive supplier, having initially planned to step away from Formula 1 when their relationship with Red Bull ended.

Red Bull Powertrains and Audi are brand new to the sport, and while they’ve recruited heavily from their rivals, they still don’t have the experience that Mercedes possesses.

It should therefore be a head-to-head shootout between Mercedes and Ferrari for which team has created the best engine.

The Scuderia haven’t discovered the same compression trick, and while the Ferrari-powered cars were very reliable in Barcelona, whether they’re as quick as the Silver Arrows is yet to be seen.

Ferrari are already planning to respond to Mercedes’ power unit, but whether that’s enough to make Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc competitive is yet to be seen.