Fred Vasseur isn’t holding back; he’s called the whole mess around the 2026 F1 engine rules "embarrassing", and he’s got a point. The season kicks off in just two weeks, and teams are still arguing about what counts as legal under the current regulations.

After the F1 Commission met on Wednesday, the FIA said teams would vote on a proposal to tighten up tests on fuel compression ratios. Mercedes got singled out for allegedly pushing past the 16:1 limit. Word is, their engineers at Brixworth spotted a loophole and squeezed out extra power, and the usual checks can’t catch it.

Honestly, teams should be focused on their cars and drivers now, not caught up in policing what everyone else is doing. This isn’t what anyone wants to spend their time on.

Under the new rule, fuel compression ratios would get checked when the engine’s actually running hot, not just at room temperature. But here’s the kicker: the new test wouldn’t take effect until August. That gives Mercedes a pretty generous window to sort themselves out.

Vasseur, talking to AutoHebdo, didn’t mince words about the FIA’s handling of the situation. According to him, Mercedes got the green light from officials before everything blew up. Then Red Bull apparently leaked Mercedes’ trick to the other teams, and suddenly, the rest of the engine manufacturers were united in pushing the FIA to clamp down.

Wednesday’s meeting helped a bit, but with just 15 days before practice starts in Melbourne, there’s still no clear answer. Ferrari even says they gave the FIA a technical fix months ago.

Vasseur said, “There are two weeks to go until the start of the world championship, and we’re still asking for clarification on the regulations. It’s quite embarrassing. We need a quick resolution. Showing up to the first race with everyone interpreting the rules differently would mean big differences in performance. That’s not good for the sport.”

He added, “Honestly, it’s easier to lower the compression ratio than to ask the others to raise theirs. There are technical solutions, but we’ve been talking about them for months, and here we are two weeks from the first GP, still looking for answers.”

The FIA definitely doesn’t want Mercedes running away with the championship thanks to this grey area. Teams like Ferrari could end up at a power disadvantage for the first 13 races. Trying to copy Mercedes now would be expensive and probably pointless.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that F1 bosses are determined to keep Mercedes from dominating with this engine, but it wouldn’t be fair to force them to overhaul everything before Australia.

Once the FIA told Mercedes their engine was legal, this whole situation was pretty much inevitable.

The good news? A protest in Melbourne seems unlikely now, even if nobody’s really thrilled about the compromise that’s coming.

Social media blew up fast after George Russell threw a cheeky question at Lewis Hamilton during F1 testing in Bahrain, asking him about his love life. All this comes as rumours swirl about Hamilton dating Kim Kardashian.

Back in early February, The Sun claimed Hamilton and Kardashian spent a “romantic weekend getaway” together in Oxfordshire. According to them, the two shared a room in the main house and had the spa and pool to themselves at night.

Not long after, people spotted Kardashian at the Super Bowl with Hamilton, who now drives for Ferrari. Neither of them has said a word about whether they’re actually dating.

Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz mentioned that, earlier this month, a journalist in Bahrain straight-up asked Hamilton if the rumours were true. Hamilton, 41, didn’t give much away: “It’s my private life; I’m not talking about that.”

Fast forward to the first day of the final 2026 test in Bahrain. All 22 F1 drivers lined up for the usual preseason group photo, and Russell Hamilton’s former teammate at Mercedes couldn’t resist teasing him. While everyone was getting ready, Russell turned to Hamilton and grinned, “All loved up or... what’s the latest?” Hamilton just smiled, and Russell burst out laughing, giving Hamilton a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Isack Hadjar and Alex Albon stood nearby, but they smartly kept out of it.

On the track, Hamilton had a solid opening day, finishing seventh in testing. Ferrari’s day went smoothly too, except for a brief spell when Hamilton stayed in the pits so his team could tinker with the car. Between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Ferrari racked up 114 laps, the sixth most among all the teams.

Hamilton faced the media on the first morning in Bahrain and seemed pretty upbeat about Ferrari’s new 2026 car. “With the car, I think we’ve started quite well so far,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s an exciting time with the new generation of cars, because it’s all brand new, and we’re all trying to figure it out on the go.

“Last year, we were locked in a car that, ultimately, I inherited.

“This is a car that I’ve been able to be a part of developing on the simulator, and so a bit of my DNA is within. I’m more connected to this one, for sure.”