David Coulthard brings up rule oversight in the compression ratio saga putting FIA under more scrutiny

David Coulthard a former Formula 1 driver has called out the FIA after reports that Mercedes took advantage of a loophole in the compression ratio.

The new rules for 2026 include a lot of changes and the compression ratio is just one of them. Before the ratio was 18:1, but the FIA has changed it to 16:1 under the new rules.

In December 2025 it was said that Mercedes had figured out how to get a higher compression ratio when the engine is running on the track. This is because the measurement is only taken when the car is still and at room temperature.

Now, it has been suggested that a rule change could be made on August 1, 2026 to close the gap. The FIA, F1 and the power unit manufacturers will all vote on this.

It's important to remember that Toto Wolff the head of the Mercedes team has said that their engine is legal and that the FIA has approved the design. So here's the deal. You talked about the FIA which stands for the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. They are in charge of Formula 1.