Hamilton Calls On Fia To 'Take Care' Of F1 Engine Controversy

LONDON, Feb 12 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- Lewis Hamilton has challenged the FIA to “take care” of Formula 1’s engine controversy so every team begins the new season on an “equal playing field”, PA Media/dpa reported.

Rival teams believe that Mercedes, suppliers of engines to McLaren, Alpine, and Williams, and Red Bull – who are this season using their own power units for the first time – have exploited a loophole which allows them to increase the compression ratio beyond the regulation limit of 16:1 and gain critical lap time.

Amid continued lobbying to change the rules ahead of the season opener in Australia on March 8, an animated Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff recently called on their rivals to get their “s*** together” and stop looking for excuses. He insists their engine is legal.

However, speaking at the first of two three-day tests in Bahrain, Hamilton, who spent 12 seasons with Mercedes before joining Ferrari, told Sky Sports: “I hope we are in the mix (this season).

“Apart from Mercedes, we all look like we are quite close, but we don’t know what fuel loads everyone is on.

“There are whispers of certain fuel loads that Mercedes are on. There are whispers of extra power that they have that the rest of us don’t have. And the compression ratio sort of thing. Hopefully that gets sorted and the FIA take care of that to make sure we are all starting on an equal playing field.”

The FIA has been approached for comment by the Press Association.

Hamilton completed 52 laps in the morning session in Bahrain before handing over testing duties to Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton, 41, is bidding to bounce back from a poor first season at Ferrari, where he ended the year without a podium for the first time in his career.

-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa