Mercedes trick now banned from F1 ahead of Monaco Grand Prix

Mercedes have been banned from exploiting a loophole in the technical regulations at the Monaco Grand Prix.

We are now five races into the 2026 Formula One season and Mercedes are the clear favourites to win both the Drivers' & Constructors' Championships.

So far, the Silver Arrows have won every race in 2026, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli securing four wins while teammate George Russell has one.

As it stands, Mercedes have 219 points in the Constructors' Championship race, 72 points clear of second-place Ferrari, who are also enjoying an impressive start to the season.

However, the Formula One title race could be about to change completely as the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix is set to be the first race under the new technical regulations.

The new regulations were agreed in pre-season and will see the clever loophole that Mercedes discovered in the 2026 technical regulations covered up.

READ MORE: Monaco Grand Prix rule change introduced by FIA that hasn't been seen this season

Ahead of the season opener in Melbourne, it was reported that Mercedes had discovered a way to relate the compression ratio between the largest and smallest volumes in the cylinder of the engine.

The official rules meant that the compression ratio was limited to 16:1, but the exact way it was worded meant teams only had to comply with that ratio when measured during specific static tests at ambient temperature

Mercedes took advantage of this by ensuring that their engines complied with that limit while static, but could run with a ratio of up to 18:1 when warmed up during a race.

However, following an outcry from rival teams, the FIA agreed to change the regulations from June 1, meaning the compression ratio will now be measured when the engine ambient temperature is 130 degrees.

The changes were initially planned to come into place on August 1, following the Hungarian Grand Prix, but they've been brought forward to be in place for the entire European leg of the season, starting with the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend.

Kimi Antonelli claims Mercedes aren't the favourites in Monaco

As it stands, it's not clear exactly how much these engine changes will impact Mercedes' dominance so far this season, but it's clear that it could certainly play a big part in the upcoming races.

So much so that championship leader Antonelli admitted ahead of Monaco that Mercedes can't be considered the favourites.

He said: "I think Ferrari is going to be the team to beat in Monaco. It's going to be very interesting [to see] how we do there, but for sure Ferrari is the favourite."

However, the Italian youngster pointed to Ferrari's own work in pre-season as the reason, not the engine change.

"The winglet in the back, it's giving them a lot of downforce at low speed. So, for sure, it's going to be interesting, but I'll try to do my best, to put myself in the best position and to achieve the best result possible," he added.