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Published On 17 Mar 202617 Mar 2026
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Mercedes’ rivals have succeeded in securing a rule change following a pre-season technical row over engine performance.
Audi, Ferrari, Red Bull and Honda had been pushing for a change in the regulation governing compression ratios on the basis they believed Mercedes had secured an advantage through clever use of materials technology.
Formula 1’s governing body the FIA said on Saturday that a change to the way the compression ratio was measured would be introduced on 1 June, with a further revision for the 2027 season.
A statement said the rule change had been approved unanimously by all power-unit manufacturers.
The compression ratio is a measurement of the cylinder displacement between the two extremes of the piston stroke. Typically, an increase will lead to more power.
Some estimates of the gain Mercedes could be achieving have been as much as 0.3 seconds a lap, but Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has said it amounts to “a few horsepower – in England you would say a couple, which is more like two and three”.
The original rule stated the ratio would be limited to 16:1 in the new engine rules introduced this year – a change from 18:1 under the previous regulations – and this was measured at ambient temperature.
Mercedes’ rivals were pushing for the compression ratio to be measured at operating temperature.
The Mercedes engine has been measured by the FIA at both ambient and operating temperature and complied with the limit of 16:1 at all times, senior F1 insiders have told BBC Sport.
Compression ratios tend to decrease as an engine rises in temperature because of thermal expansion of the materials involved. The belief was Mercedes had found a more effective way to limit this loss than other manufacturers.
From 1 June, the compression ratio will be measured at 130C as well as ambient temperature, and from next year only at 130C.
That means that from next year, manufacturers will be able to have engines that exceed a compression ratio of 16:1 at ambient temperature, even though this reduction from the previous limit was introduced into the 2026 regulations to make the rules more appealing to new manufacturers.
Audi and Ford both entered F1 because they were attracted by the new power-unit rules, which introduce a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, and Honda reversed a decision to quit.
A statement from the FIA said: “A significant effort has been invested in finding a solution to the topic of compression ratio.
“The regulations introduced for 2026 represent one of the biggest changes in recent memory.
“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.”
This last sentence is a reference to discussions over energy deployment and recovery.
Drivers have complained that because cars are energy starved this has led to unusual and counter-intuitive driving techniques – and there are various proposals to change the rules to make energy management easier.
THE Cotswolds is already a great place to visit, but nearby is a farm that parents are raving about as a great day out,
Millets Farm opened back in 1952, originally as a dairy farm.
Now, the farm is home to multiple attractions including a play barn, Maize Maze and Farmyard Golf.
The attraction is split into pre-booked activities and no pre-booking required activities.
For example, you could head off on the Millets Animal Walkway, where visitors will see a number of farm animals including goats, chickens, rabbits, horses, birds and alpacas.
The play area also doesn’t need pre-booking and has a mix of swings, slides, climbing frames and more.
Read more on travel inspo
There are also token-operated ride-on tractors, diggers and a crane which little ones can go on.
One token costs £1.75, three tokens cost £4.50 and five tokens cost £6.
If the weather isn’t rainy, you can also check out the 10 acre Phoebe Wood, where there are a number of woodland walks.
There are then several activities you have to book ahead for, such as Sprouts Play Barn with a four-lane wavy cow slide, 360 tunnel, a ‘mini Millets farmers market’ with seven soft role-play areas, a sports court and an area for under five-year-olds.
One recent visitor said: “This has to be the best soft play in Oxfordshire, it’s absolutely huge and offers a great variety of activities and play equipment for a wide age range.
“There’s a little baby area at the front, and then lots of fun for bigger kids on the higher levels.”
Another visitor added: “The soft play was the best we have ever been to (and we have been to A LOT).
“Every section was clean, looked brand new and so well thought out.
“It’s huge with four floors and the under fives section is also the biggest I’ve seen.”
Included in the Sprouts admission tickets, you also get access to the outdoor play area which has slides, beams and water play.
There’s also an 18-hole farm themed adventure golf course that you can book.
If you want something that is a little bit more of a thrill, head on the carousel, Ferris Wheel or Jungle Thriller, which all cost £3 a turn.
However, at the moment only the carousel is open until the spring, when other attractions at the park will reopen.
The attraction also hosts a number of events, such as Phil’s Magic Mania Show and Tweedy’s Massive Circus.
There are a number of seasonal events at the farm as well, such as pick your own flowers.
Visitors can explore around 8000 dahlias planted around a bright pink double-decker bus during the summer months.
The site also has a big garden centre, that sells items for both gardeners and non-gardeners.
One recent visitor said: “Such a delightful garden centre to wander around.
“They have everything you can imagine, for any budget. Even a cafe if you need a little break.
“I could have spent all afternoon there.”
When it comes to eating, the attraction has several spots to grab a bite.
For example, there is The Farmhouse Kitchen Restaurant which has both indoor and outdoor seating.
If you fancy an ice cream, head to the Snack Shack.
There there’s also The Food at Webbs restaurant, which can be found inside the garden centre and offers homemade meals.
And if you want to make your stay a bit longer or more special, then head to Wellness at Millets for a beauty treatment.
For more UK farms with family activities, here are six UK farm stays inspired by Clarkson’s Farm from remote cottages to Highland cow petting.
Plus, the English campsite named best farm attraction in the UK reveals new kid’s playground and glamping.
