Mercedes may still have 15-horsepower F1 engine mode in their pocket despite 2026 dominance

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Mercedes are possibly holding on to another level this season, as they are yet to show the full strength of their engine.

Throughout this season, even with their strong performances, many believe Mercedes haven’t used the full potential of their engine just yet.

And in fairness to them, they haven’t had much reason to, given how they’ve been a cut above all the other teams this year.

Are Mercedes’ rivals hiding behind 2026 ‘excuses’?

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It’s been suggested that Mercedes began working on their 2026 engine in 2022. And with their dominance this season, that suggestion makes a lot more sense.

But to what extent have Mercedes pocketed their gap to other teams this season? By all speculation, they might have a lot they haven’t shown yet.

READ MORE: Former Mercedes engineer claims ‘political decisions’ impact quality of their customer power units

Mercedes possibly not using their ‘engine trick’ to gain ADOU advantage

In a column for Motorsport Magazine, veteran F1 reporter Mark Hughes speculated that Mercedes have not been showcasing the full extent of their power unit to try and leverage ADOU this season.

Hughes suggested that one of the ways Mercedes are doing this is by not making use of their ‘engine trick’ to maximise the compression ratio from 16:1 to 18:1.

Many F1 teams took umbrage with Mercedes’ move, suggesting that they were circumventing the rules every other team was following.

However, despite Mercedes being exonerated by the FIA, they might not have been utilising this engine tactic to try and leverage an even bigger advantage through ADOU.

This could mean that Mercedes are holding on to an advantage with their engine, reported by Auto, Motor, und Sport to be worth 15 horsepower, this season.

Combine this fact with the recent engine regulation change, and Mercedes could be in line for a massive edge after the Canadian Grand Prix if they are granted ADOU.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton used to ring Mercedes technical department to give them ‘aerodynamic advice’

If you were Mercedes, would you stop giving McLaren engines?

The deal expires in 2030

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Mercedes could reclaim dominant edge over rivals after Canadian Grand Prix

If Hughes’ speculation comes to fruition, we could see Mercedes reclaim the dominant edge they had over their rivals during the first two races this season.

From the Japanese Grand Prix, teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and even Red Bull have managed to close the gap to Mercedes quite significantly.

But if Mercedes are still not operating at full capacity, this shrinking of the gap may have given their rivals false hope for this season.

Of course, it is possible that Mercedes run into more problems when implementing this engine trick, or could face another investigation from officials, which could nullify this edge.

But with this information, the next few races will be key to understanding just how significant Mercedes’ advantage is over the other teams.