Formula One’s political battle continues: for the third time in 2026, Ferrari has accused Mercedes of potentially breaching the regulations with its W17.
The W17 remains at the center of paddock debate, and once again Ferrari is pointing the finger at a possible irregularity. If a formal protest is lodged, the FIA will be called upon to intervene and evaluate what is seen as yet another regulatory grey area.
In 2026, the first major controversy involved the power unit, particularly the compression ratio, which allegedly allows the Silver Arrows to gain an advantage both in peak power and in energy management and recovery. Starting from the Monaco Grand Prix, the FIA is set to limit this benefit through the now well-known hot measurement procedure.
The second case concerned the deployment of the so-called “straight mode”. In China, the Brackley car showed a two-phase closure of the front wing compared to the rear. After checks, the issue was dismissed as a technical anomaly, although George Russell appeared to benefit from it. At Suzuka, this solution was no longer seen.
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The third and latest point involves the use of the 350 kW delivered by the MGU-K. Regulations require that during a qualifying lap, the energy deployment decreases progressively toward the finish line. This is designed to avoid sudden slowdowns on the in-lap caused by excessive battery drain: using the full 350 kW throughout the lap would force the system into a stand-by phase lasting around 60 seconds.
Beyond the safety implications—with cars potentially slowing abruptly just after the line—this scenario would also represent a significant technical advantage, reportedly exploited by both Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, identified as the second team to have discovered this solution.
At this point, Ferrari appears ready to pursue this case as well, in an attempt to halt the dominance of the Brackley-based team.
Photos credits: Mercedes AMG
