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Lewis Hamilton aired suspicions about Mercedes’ fuel compression ratio after qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix, but Martin Brundle says it’s a non-story.
There were suspicions throughout testing and even in Australian GP practice that Mercedes were sandbagging, but not even their most pessimistic rivals expected them to be so far clear in qualifying.
George Russell led a Mercedes one-two, around eight-tenths clear of ‘best of the rest’ Isack Hadjar in the Red Bull. Ferrari were seen as one of the likeliest challengers but Charles Leclerc was fourth, with Hamilton only seventh.
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Speaking to Sky Sports after the session, Hamilton revealed that Mercedes were gaining six-tenths per lap through a power advantage alone. This comes after a winter dominated by the fuel compression ratio scandal.
To explain it simply, Mercedes are accused of breaching the limits – set at 16:1 – in a manner that can’t be detected by the FIA. If this is the source of their advantage, then Hamilton wants answers from the FIA.
It was striking to hear the Silver Arrows legend raise doubts over the legality of the W17, though he did admit that the onus may be on Ferrari to close the gap.
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“There’s the whole talk of compression ratio,” Hamilton said. “They’ve obviously done a really solid job with their engine, which we have as well.
“But it would be interesting to understand why it’s two-tenths or more just through power per sector. If it is a compression thing, I want to understand why the FIA haven’t done anything and what’s being done to rectify it.
“If it’s not, and it’s just pure pace, then we have to do a better job.”
Martin Brundle calls F1 fuel compression ratio row ‘a storm in a cylinder’
When these comments were put to Brundle, he immediately dismissed them. The FIA are introducing a new compression ratio test in June, two months earlier than originally planned.
“I think the whole thing is a storm in a cylinder, to be honest,” said Brundle.
Clearly, Brundle doubts that the apparent clampdown will have any meaningful effect on the pecking order.
His colleague Bernie Collins pointed out that Mercedes’ lead can’t solely be put down to their engine because their customers were fairly unimpressive. Oscar Piastri was the lead McLaren in fifth, while Williams and Alpine drivers all qualified between 14th and 21st.
“Four teams are running this engine,” said Collins. “If it was just down to compression ratio, we’d just have those four teams at the top of the standings.”
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