Ever since rivals discovered that Mercedes could comply with the 16:1 limit during static tests, but can achieve a higher ratio while running on track, the compression ratio has become the biggest political topic of Formula 1’s pre-season.
During the first week in Bahrain, Wolff made it clear that Mercedes had closely involved the FIA throughout the entire engine development process and kept the governing body in the loop. The FIA was aware of the background, which is why Wolff sounded confident during the season launch and stated that he had no concerns whatsoever about the legality of the new power unit.
