Mercedes now trying to ‘prevent’ Ferrari and Red Bull from improving their 2026 cars with FIA rule

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Mercedes are the early leaders in the Formula 1 paddock after the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, with Ferrari and potentially Red Bull representing their nearest rivals.

George Russell won the Australian Grand Prix from teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with Ferrari’s drivers finishing third and fourth and catching the eye with their rapid race starts.

It’s hard to know exactly what Red Bull are capable of yet, with Max Verstappen finishing P6 from 20th on the grid after his crash in qualifying and Isack Hadjar unable to convert his second row start into points following a mechanical failure.

Here’s your top three from the Australian Grand Prix! Were you surprised by the podium finishers?

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McLaren are playing catch-up despite having Mercedes’ power unit, with Lando Norris a distant P5 in Melbourne, and the rest of the grid lapped by the time they reached the chequered flag.

However, Mercedes are in no mood to let their rivals play catch-up, and are hoping to ‘prevent’ Red Bull and Ferrari from making strides with their power unit this season.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Mercedes want to ‘prevent’ Red Bull and Ferrari improving their power units using FIA rule

A report from the Spanish outlet MARCA has shared more details about the lobbying going on behind the scenes in the F1 paddock.

Lewis Hamilton commented during the Australian Grand Prix race weekend that he hopes Mercedes’ advantage doesn’t come from utilising a compression ratio trick discovered by the Silver Arrows.

Martin Brundle dismissed Hamilton’s engine concerns, but Mercedes are now hoping to ‘prevent’ Red Bull and Ferrari from improving their power units using the ADUO rules set out by the FIA.

The Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) rule allows power unit manufacturers who are ‘significantly behind’ to bring upgrades to specific races.

Mercedes claim a one-two finish to start F1’s new era! Which driver stands out from the top 10 of the Australian Grand Prix?

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The first opportunity to do so would be at the seventh race of the season, although it’s yet to be seen what impact the potential cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would have on this timeline.

If a team’s engine is between 2% and 4% off the best-performing power unit, in this case, Mercedes, they can bring one update after races six, 12 and 18, while any engine that’s more than 4% slower than the best power unit can bring two updates.

However, what it’s believed that Mercedes are trying to do is reduce their winning margin compared to Ferrari and Red Bull so that they don’t fall between the 2% and 4% category.

The only team that Mercedes aren’t concerned about are Aston Martin, as they are in a ‘different league’ and need to work out a way to stop the vibrations coming from the Honda power unit, which appear to be destroying the engine.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Mercedes’ fuel flow rate could be the key to their dominance over Ferrari and Red Bull

One of the intangible differences between each car on the grid this season is the fuel being used, which is having a direct impact on performance.

Mercedes use Petronas’ synthetic fuel, whereas Ferrari use Shell’s biomass fuel, as F1 now requires every team to use ‘sustainable fuels’ this season.

It’s believed that Mercedes can control their fuel flow better than the other teams who use their power unit, which is essential during qualifying.

Williams are unhappy with the information Mercedes have provided about their engine this year, but at least they’ve got the most competitive power unit.

The fact that Russell and Antonelli did such massive stints on hard tyres proves Mercedes’ advantage, and the compression trick that they’ve come up with also reduces fuel consumption, meaning a lighter car and therefore less degradation.

Ferrari’s power unit gives them a distinct advantage off the line, as was seen in Melbourne, but when it comes to racing, they appear to be a small step behind their rivals, who are in no mood to let them catch up.