Formula One to revise controversial rule at centre of Mercedes engine row
Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, and rival engine manufacturers have reached a compromise solution to tackle the controversy surrounding Mercedes that had threatened to overshadow next week’s start of the season in Australia.The sport is entering a new era with the biggest changes in decades to the engine and chassis regulations.Engine compression ratios have been a major talking point, with Mercedes suspected of exploiting a loophole to gain performance through the thermal expansion of components and there is talk of possible protests after the Melbourne race.Mercedes have said any change will make no difference to them.The FIA said in a statement on Saturday that amendments to the 2026 regulations had been approved unanimously by an e-vote of its World Motor Sport Council.
“A significant effort has been invested in finding a solution to the topic of the compression ratio,” it said.“The FIA has worked to find a compromise solution which determines that the compression ratio will be controlled in both hot and cold conditions from 1 June 2026 and subsequently only in the operating conditions … from 2027 onwards.”The governing body had initially proposed voting on compliance “not only at ambient conditions but also at a representative operating temperature of 130 degrees Celsius” from 1 August.An August date would have covered more than half the 24-race season before any change was implemented.Mercedes supply V6 engines to four of the 11 teams – the 2025 champions, McLaren, as well as their own works team, Williams and Renault-owned Alpine.
The remaining manufacturers are Red Bull, who are now making their own engines and supply their sister team, Racing Bulls, plus Audi, Honda (Aston Martin) and Ferrari, who also supply Haas and the newcomers Cadillac.The compression ratio of the engines is limited in the regulations to 16:1, measured in cold conditions.While all engines comply with that measurement, Mercedes are suspected of having gained a significant advantage by finding a way to expand the ratio when the engine is running hot.“The regulations introduced for 2026 represent one of the biggest changes in recent memory,” the FIA said.“All parties acknowledge that with the introduction of such significant regulatory changes, there are collective learnings to be taken from pre-season testing and the initial rounds of the 2026 championship.
Further evaluation and technical checks on energy management matters are ongoing.”The FIA said additional amendments to the sporting and financial regulations were also approved.Meanwhile, F1 has said it is “closely monitoring” the situation in the Middle East for the upcoming races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.Missile strikes continue to rock the region after United States and Israeli forces attacked Iran with several countries closing their airspace.A number of F1’s vast travelling circus were scheduled to head to Australia for next weekend’s opening race via the Middle East, with some now having to reroute their flights.
It is understood F1 chiefs are confident the season-opener in Melbourne a week on Sunday will be unaffected.However, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are due to host the fourth and fifth rounds of the new campaign on 12 and 19 April respectively.An F1 spokesperson said: “Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan and not in the Middle East – those races are not for a number of weeks.As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”Last summer, F1’s chief, Stefano Domenicali, admitted the sport had a contingency plan in place for the final two rounds of the season – in Qatar on 30 November and in Abu Dhabi a week later – amid political tensions in the Middle East.
Both races went ahead as planned,
Winter Paralympics walks tightrope as Russia’s inclusion risks ceremony boycott
The Paralympic torch left its home in Stoke Mandeville this week and has arrived at the gateway of the Dolomites. The towns of Bolzano and Trento will host “flame festivals” over the weekend to welcome the Paralympic movement and commemorate its progress on the 50th anniversary of the first Winter Games. It will be a joyous, poignant start to what could be a fractious fortnight.While the flame is being passed between torch bearers, the leaders of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will be scrambling to contain what increasingly resembles a diplomatic incident. A decision last week to invite 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Winter Paralympics at Milano Cortina has been met with full-throated criticism from across Europe and beyond
Jacks and Ahmed find dramatic late blitz to earn England unlikely win over New Zealand
A game played on a turning wicket and dominated by spin was decided, appropriately, after a decisive, savage twist. Just as it looked as if England’s unconvincing progress through the World Cup was the one thing destined to remain on its predictable path Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks spun the game, and the group, in their team’s favour.England’s pursuit of a target of 160 was appearing increasingly forlorn until its 18th over, bowled by Glenn Phillips, which started with them needing 43 off 18 and ended, two sixes and a couple of fours later, with a manageable 21 required off 12. Ahmed started the next with another boundary to keep the momentum going and before the penultimate delivery the batters conferred. “I said: ‘I’ll get a single and you just have a free hit,’” Jacks said; he got his single and Ahmed deposited the final delivery into the stands
England beat New Zealand by four wickets: T20 Cricket World Cup Super 8s – as it happened
Henry goes short, it hits Jacks on the helmet or glove and that’s it! It runs away for four and England win! A 44 run partnership from 16 balls between Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed has pulled the rug from New Zealand!Righto, that’s us done here. A fantastic game, England are hitting their straps at just the right time. New Zealand now have a nervy wait, they need Sri Lanka to do them a favour by beating Pakistan.We’ll be bringing you the semi-finals and final next week but that’s all from me today, goodbye!England Captain Harry Brook:Are England peaking at right time?double quotation markI think so. We still haven’t played that perfect game
Perfect pitches for historic matches | Letters
Alex Preston, in his travel feature on Corfu (21 February), writes about playing with the Lord’s Taverners on “the only cricket pitch in the world I know that’s set within a Unesco world heritage site”. Wonderful though the cricket ground in Corfu undoubtedly is, I am surprised that Preston’s fellow Taverner, Andy Caddick of Somerset and England, didn’t let him know that Bath also enjoys a cricket pitch within a Unesco world heritage site (and possibly two if you include the Rec), while the ground at Galle, Sri Lanka, where Caddick played a Test in 2001, adjacent to the Fort, is mighty close.David DuddingLondon Greenwich Park is also a Unesco world heritage site and has a cricket field in the south-west corner.Alan Burkitt-Gray London Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Promotion and relegation from Prem to be scrapped as rugby moves to franchise model
English rugby has adopted a franchise system for the first time with promotion and relegation from the Prem scrapped from the end of this season.In the biggest change to the club game since the introduction of a formal league in 1987, the Rugby Football Union’s council voted overwhelmingly in favour of proposals to ringfence the existing 10-team Prem on Friday, with a view to expanding to 12 clubs in 2029-30.Entry to the Prem will be decided on a points-based system rather than simply on-field performance, with applications to be invited from expansion franchises. Birmingham City’s owner, Knighthead Capital, is interested in joining, as reported by the Guardian on Thursday.The criteria will include minimum standards regarding stadiums and player development, as well as a commitment to operating a team in Premiership Women’s Rugby or funding a regional women’s development plan
Cheltenham hopeful of ticket-sale turnaround for festival after three years of decline
Ticket sales for the 2026 festival meeting at Cheltenham are ahead of the levels at the same point 12 months ago and there is growing confidence at the track that attendance will be up at next month’s showpiece meeting after sharp declines over the past three seasons.This year’s festival, which opens on 10 March, will be the second since Guy Lavender took over as Cheltenham’s chief executive at the start of 2025, but the first at which it should be possible to assess the effect of a range of initiatives to improve the customer experience that have been introduced over the last 15 months.“Overall we are very positive about where we are for sales at the festival,” Lavender said on Friday, “and there is growth from last year. It’s too early to give definitive numbers and there are a few days to go, but overall we are moving in the right direction.”Recent changes at the meeting include the reintroduction of a Ladies’ Day on Wednesday, the most poorly attended day in recent seasons, and a relaxation of rules on areas where alcohol can be consumed
Square Mile strikes back: how the City of London is fighting disinformation about crime
Harrods faces legal action over £1-a-head dining charge not going to staff
Suicide forum found to be in breach of Online Safety Act after failing to block UK users
OpenAI announces $110bn funding round that would value firm at $840bn
Formula One to revise controversial rule at centre of Mercedes engine row
Oleksandr Usyk to defend title against kickboxer at Pyramids of Giza in Egypt