Problems for Colapinto: Mercedes and its customer teams, including Alpine, fail to homologate their fuel for the new F1 season

Just over two weeks before Formula 1 officially returns with the Australian Grand Prix, a technical problem has set off the alarm in the teams that use Mercedes engines. The approval of the new sustainable fuel, which will be mandatory starting from the 2026 season, is still not guaranteed and time is running out.

The regulatory change marked a turning point in the category: fossil fuels were left behind and now F1 requires sustainable blends certified under strict environmental standards. The adoption of this fuel is one of the central pillars of the new regulations promoted by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), which has already made it clear that there will be no easing of the controls.

Until 2025, the process was relatively simple. The manufacturers sent a sample to a British laboratory affiliated with the FIA and within a period of around two or three weeks they received technical confirmation. However, with the introduction of sustainable fuel, the homologation system became much more exhaustive.

Now the certification has been delegated to the British company Zemo, which not only analyzes the final product, but also inspects the entire production chain. The staff visits the plants, reviews each stage of the process, and verifies the certifications of the individual molecules and of each supplier involved. The control is comprehensive and is carried out "molecule by molecule".

In this context, Petronas, Mercedes's official supplier, is racing against the clock to achieve homologation before the Australian Grand Prix, scheduled from March 6 to 8. If the approval doesn't arrive in time, the teams that use those power units (Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Alpine) could be forced to compete with a "provisional" fuel that could reduce performance.

The regulations contemplate this possibility, allowing the use of a blend composed exclusively of previously approved elements if some specific component doesn't have certification. However, it is still not clear what Petronas's strategy would be if the final green light doesn't arrive before the imminent debut in Melbourne.

It should be clarified that for now only two suppliers have received the "OK" from the FIA: Shell (Ferrari, Haas and Cadillac) and British Petroleum (Audi), while ExxonMobil (Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls) and Aramco (Aston Martin) are also awaiting confirmation.

For the moment, there have been no official statements from the parties involved and uncertainty dominates the atmosphere in the affected teams. Any technical setback could alter the planning and condition the start of the season.