Wolff responds prior to the FIA meetings in February.

      "Toto Wolff has sharply criticized rival teams for their ongoing questioning of the legality of Mercedes’ 2026 power unit solution, with two additional FIA engine meetings planned this month to address the contentious compression issue. In an interview with German media, Wolff emphasized that he views the ongoing debate as unnecessary political noise rather than a real regulatory concern.

      "You don’t always need to comprehend what competitors are doing," the Austrian remarked. "The fact that they can’t simply acknowledge that the regulations agreed upon with the FIA are clear in their interpretation and implementation - yet the dissenters continue to insist ‘we don’t like it’."

      Wolff indicated that the grievances reveal more about pressures in other areas than about Mercedes’ engine.

      "They hold secret meetings and send letters. I just say ‘focus on your work’," he mentioned. "That's what we strive to do here - not concentrate on others’ actions and perpetually complain, but to maximize our resources."

      The Mercedes team principal rejected claims that the issue presents a significant regulatory grey area, instead labeling it as a distraction.

      "Perhaps they’re searching for justifications for internal stakeholder management, trying to assert that something is illegal when it’s completely legal," Wolff further noted. "I’ve entirely dismissed that here because it's a total diversion. Especially given how clearly the rules are defined."

      Rumors continue in the paddock that Red Bull-Ford may have also found a method to enhance effective compression during operation, although it remains uncertain if the system is ready for competitive use. If true, this could align Red Bull - and Max Verstappen - with the same side of the political debate, but Wolff downplayed any notion of collaboration.

      "I’m unaware of Red Bull’s latest stance," he stated. "I also can’t tell if they’ve interpreted it the same way, so I’m unable to comment."

      Currently, a ban for the initial 2026 season seems improbable. However, insiders believe that the FIA could still intervene after the inaugural year of the new engine regulations, following a familiar trend observed with past innovations like Mercedes’ DAS system.

      Wolff mentioned that no discussions have yet occurred regarding 2027."