F1 Commission showdown looms as compression saga intensifies

Feb.16 (GMM) The Formula 1 Commission is set for a crucial meeting this week as the controversy over Mercedes’ power unit compression concept continues to escalate.

With a significant bloc of teams and manufacturers reportedly pushing for clarity before the season opener in Melbourne, Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur said the focus must be on certainty rather than overt confrontation.

“I’m just hoping for clarity,” Vasseur said as the first Bahrain test ended last Friday. “We’ll have the F1 Commission next week, and I think it’s the right place to address this issue.”

Some observers believe Mercedes’ recent insistence that Red Bull is the early favourite is an attempt to divert attention. Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Blick: “If your rivals are already preparing to file a protest against you and your engines, then perhaps you should slow down.”

Italian journalist Leo Turrini described the political situation as explosive.

“I found Toto Wolff’s statements surreal,” he wrote. “He essentially says everything is in order, but is quick to add that at the end of the day the advantage would be minimal, minimal, minimal. Like ‘my sister is only slightly pregnant’.”

According to Turrini, Ferrari engineers have been instructed to develop a method of measuring compression ratios while the engine is still hot – a complex process involving removal of bodywork and spark plugs before installing a measuring device.

The concern in Maranello, he suggests, is that by the time such checks are completed, cooling systems could alter the measured ratio. “Technically unmasking the Daimler-Benz crooks isn’t easy,” he wrote, hinting that political pressure may ultimately prove decisive.

Vasseur, however, played down the prospect of formal protests.

“We’re not here to protest,” he insisted. “We want clear rules and for everyone to have the same understanding of those rules. But we’re not talking about protests.

“There have been too many changes. The chassis regulations, the engine regulations, the tyre regulations and the sporting regulations have all changed. That inevitably leads to grey areas.

“For me, the most important thing is to bring clarity.”

Alpine chief Steve Nielsen, whose team now runs Mercedes engines, also addressed the issue.

“They have a right to protest, I suppose,” Nielsen said. “If they’re really that convinced of this, let them risk their reputation and do something about it.

“I hope the FIA will express its position before Melbourne, because I wouldn’t want the story in Australia to revolve around the compression ratio.”

Nielsen warned against undermining regulatory stability.

“If a very clearly defined set of rules can be challenged in this way, then what can’t be challenged?” he asked. “People invest a huge amount of time and money into this matter, acting in good faith.

“We have complete confidence in Mercedes. They developed the power unit conscientiously, following very clear guidelines, and we trust the governing body to do the right thing.”

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